Chapter 23: The King of Lucky Pervs

That same afternoon.

"Oh my, this is quite something."

"Hey, this is actually pretty good. Looks like we picked a winner, huh?"

Although Karl had managed to double-book all four of the girls, creating what should have been a highly volatile situation…

Despite a slight tension in the air, it thankfully didn’t escalate into a full-blown party meltdown.

"Hmm~♪"

"Lev, dear, you've got something on your mouth. Eat a little more gracefully, will you?"

Luckily, the biggest potential spark for conflict—Maika and little Lev—were actually good friends, which helped a lot.

Sakura didn’t seem to be particularly into Karl, and as for me, I wasn’t romantically interested in him either.

With that context in place—

"Sorry for the mix-up. I booked everyone for the same time by mistake. But hey, it’s on me today. Let’s just hang out and have fun, yeah?"

"...Sigh."

We all ended up going along with Karl’s clueless but surprisingly effective suggestion.

Me in my bikini battle outfit, the “LOVE faction” girls in their pretty serious date attire, and Sakura in her casual clothes. The fact that Karl was confidently walking around with this mixed lineup... he might actually be a big deal.

"First, let’s get something sweet."

"Sure, I’m good with that."

And so, we found ourselves on a sweets tour Karl had promised Lev.

We entered a stylish café tucked into a corner of the shopping district and enjoyed a slow, relaxing time, watching Lev beam with happiness.

"Hey, Maika. You look super cute today. I mean, seriously, you’re looking really cute."

"Are you trying to get an advance on your allowance? I don’t mind, but there’ll be interest."

"...Understood, ma’am."

By the way, Karl, who had loudly declared he’d treat all four of us, turned pale the moment he saw the prices on the menu.

This town, Yowin, is high-class and expensive. The quality’s good, but the cost of living is sky-high—nobles strut around everywhere, after all.

This is a town for the wealthy. There’s no way a place set up on the main street could be reasonably priced. Karl’s failure was not realizing that sooner.

"Pastries bought with a commoner’s coin taste sooo much better."

"...As a noble, Sakura, is that really okay?"

"The best seasoning is not having to pay yourself, darling. And you're eating plenty too, aren’t you?"

"That’s because this place is genuinely delicious..."

I was thinking of holding back out of sympathy for Karl, but the food here was just too good.

It looked like a fancy little café at first glance, but it was a total hit. The meat was cooked perfectly, the seasoning was on point, and even the side salad showed incredible sense. Everything was flawless.

"Coming to a dessert place and ordering steak—is that really okay for a girl?"

"Protein is healthier than sugar, you know."

"Well, I’ll just have another slice of cake. Excuse me, one more of these, please~"

Sakura, completely ignoring Karl’s financial peril, continued ordering to her heart’s content.

Given the slight blush on her cheeks, I’d guess she’s actually pretty into sweets too.

"Just did the math—this is gonna cost about three months' worth of allowance."

"...But I wanted to get closer to Sakura today too. If this makes her happy, then I—"

"Idiot."

After that, we spent the rest of the day shopping, training, and basically wringing every drop out of Karl’s wallet.

He’ll be living allowance-free for a while, but I’m sure he knew what he was getting into.

---

"That guy's got a few screws loose, doesn’t he?"

"Perfect people are quite rare, after all."

Later that night.

After sparring with Karl on our way back from shopping, I returned to Yuri’s house and went to wash up with Sakura.

"Well, he did treat us to something tasty. He doesn’t have that sneaky, cunning vibe commoners sometimes get—that’s actually kind of refreshing."

"He’s a very sincere man."

"Hmm..."

Since Sakura and I are both nobles, it’s expected we spend time caring for our hair... or at least, that’s the official line.

Honestly, I used to rush through it like a crow bath, but now that Sakura’s in the party, I have to take it seriously. Can’t raise suspicion, after all.

"Hey Irine, what do you think of Karl?"

"What do I think, how?"

Sakura suddenly hit me with that question.

"The other two are pretty obvious with their feelings, right? But you... I couldn’t really tell."

"Oh, so that’s what you meant."

In other words, she wanted to know if I was interested in Karl romantically.

Well, in a party with four women, keeping track of that sort of dynamic is important.

"I’m not. I find Karl pleasant enough, but I don’t see him in that way."

"Yeah, figured. You’re good at hiding your true feelings, though, so I wasn’t sure."

"Fufufu. For us nobles, veiling our true intent behind grace and charm is an essential skill."

"...You’re kind of a sneaky little fox, huh? That fortune-teller girl said you were more of a gorilla, though."

What?! Who are you calling a sneaky little fox?! Comparing me to a soft, muscle-less animal like that is a complete insult!

"Well, anyway, glad to hear you're not after him. I don’t think you’d lie about that kind of thing."

"Naturally. I hate lying. Also... I’m more interested in women."

"Ohhh, I see. You do kinda give off that vibe—"

Ah. That slipped out.

Truth is, it’s not that I prefer girls so much as I’m just not ready to deal with marrying a man yet.

That’s why I kept rejecting all the arranged matches back home.

"...Oh my~? So that’s your preference, huh? My, my~?"

"Is something the matter, Sakura?"

"..."

Why is Sakura suddenly frozen?

"...Come to think of it, didn’t you mention something about virgins before...? Wait, was that not a joke? Am I in danger right now?"

"Sakura~?"

"Uh, um, just to be clear—I’m totally normal, okay? Don’t get any funny ideas, Irine!"

"Oh, there’s no need to worry. I said I lean toward women, not that I’m desperate. And anyway, as a noble, I do plan to marry eventually."

"Yeah, true. Nobles don’t really get to pick their partners like commoners do."

So she was on alert after finding out I might like girls, huh. Really now—like I’d ever do anything to someone who wasn’t interested.

I’m a gentleman, thank you very much.

"I mean, is it called same-sex attraction? I’ve just never met anyone like that before, so I didn’t know how to act. Sorry about that."

"Just act normal. You’re around men who like women all the time and you don’t treat them differently, right? It’s not about orientation—it’s about character. Whether someone crosses a line depends on who they are, not who they like."

"Ah... yeah. You’re right."

Exactly. Besides, in my case, it’s mostly due to leftovers from a past life. Once my spirit settles into this body, I might end up being into both anyway.

"Sorry again. Want me to wash your back as an apology?"

"Fufufu, I’d like that very much. And please, keep what I just said a secret, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. You really are full of secrets, huh?"

Well, that slipped out, but I’ll try to keep it quiet. Don’t want to cause trouble for any future fiancé.

I’m glad Sakura turned out to be someone I can talk to.

---

"...Hmm? Is someone in the bath?"

Splash—ka-pon.

It was just around the time Sakura and I had, on a whim, started washing each other.

"...Yuri? No... Who could it be...?"

A bearded old man suddenly barged in, holding a towel over his crotch.

"...Hmm?"

"Eek! H-Heee!?"

"Oh my."

He was a complete stranger, someone we had never seen before.

But judging from his speech and demeanor, I had a rough idea of who he might be.

"Kyaaaaa!! Pervert!!"

"W-Woah!? Two young ladies!?"

"Oh my, oh my."

Hmm... let's observe whether he's lying or not.

The old man looked genuinely surprised. But at the same time, his cheeks flushed red as he began ogling mine and Sakura’s naked bodies with growing excitement. Unlike Karl, who would immediately drop to his knees and apologize, this guy was just staring at us wide-eyed, grinning ear to ear.

Verdict: this man likely didn't peek on purpose—but he's absolutely brimming with indecent thoughts.

"Oh! That’s right! Now that I think of it, I heard there were guests—"

"Shut up and turn around, you filthy old perv!!"

"Thank you very much!!"

According to my personal judgment, he was technically innocent—but Sakura had already punched him. Well, she did get seen naked, so I suppose she had every right to hit him.

Why the geezer shouted thanks after being punched, I have no idea.

---

"I sincerely apologize once again. We have shown great disrespect to a guest, and I intend to make every possible amends."

"Seriously. My skin isn’t something you get to see for free, you know. Up until now, only my family and Karl have ever seen me naked."

The old man took a clean uppercut to the chin, passed out cold, and Yuri, having rushed over upon hearing the commotion, took one look at the disastrous scene in the bath and dropped to her knees in apology, instantly understanding everything.

According to Yuri, this mysterious man was indeed her father—someone named Yuri.

"Now that you mention it, I’ve also never been seen naked by a man who wasn’t family or Karl. What a coincidence, Sakura."

"This is no time for that!! You should be way angrier, Irine!!"

"I’m quite confident in my body. There’s nothing shameful about it, even if someone sees it."

"...Forget it. I’m never forgiving that old man!"

Sakura, furious beyond words, glared daggers at the unconscious, stark-naked man.

A maiden’s soft skin is not something to be seen by strangers. Even someone as bold as Sakura was clearly shaken.

"He didn’t peek on purpose, you know? What’s done is done, so let’s try to calm down a little, Sakura."

"Easier said than done."

"It’s my fault for not explaining properly. Even so, he’s my only living family. I know it was rude, but please, spare his life. You can punish me however you like in his stead."

"...I-I’m not going to go that far. Besides, you’re a mage, right? If you hold a title, something like this wouldn’t warrant a death sentence anyway."

"Well, I’m just a half-blood mage. I’ve got noble blood a few generations back, but I’m a commoner now."

"Ah, I see."

So Sakura hadn’t realized. There wasn’t a single family crest in the house, so I had figured as much.

A commoner peeking at a noble lady’s naked body? That could literally be a capital offense.

"A commoner... saw me naked…"

"Well, Karl’s a commoner too, isn’t he?"

"He’s going to be a hero someday, so I don’t mind. In fact, he’s a future high-ranking noble, so I should probably let him have a peek to reel him in."

"Huh? Sakura, are you actually aiming for Karl?"

This time, Sakura casually dropped a pretty heavy bombshell.

So she's joining the race for Karl too?

"He’s low risk, you know? Doesn’t seem like the type to lie or betray, and he’s naive enough that a little push might seal the deal."

"Oh my, he really is quite the popular man."

"If it works out, I can rebuild my family. Even if I’m just a concubine and get financial support, that’d be a huge win for me. From my position, not going for him would be foolish."

Right. Given her situation, landing Karl would be a major coup.

"Honestly, Irine might be the only one with no reason to go after him."

"Quite right. My family is already a respected noble house… Once we contribute to the Demon Lord subjugation, our status will rise even further."

"You're from a prestigious military family, aren’t you? Though I hear they’ve lost some of their influence now that things have been peaceful for a while."

Well, her dad never seemed interested in power anyway.

I remember him laughing once and saying, ‘It’s better for military folks to hold less power.’

"Say, Sakura. I’d be satisfied if this gentleman could introduce me to a researcher. No need for further punishment."

"Mmm... But still..."

"Why not show some generosity and use it to score points with Karl?"

"W-Well, when you put it like that... Fine, I’ll let it slide just this once."

And just like that, we managed to steer the conversation enough to calm Sakura down.

You better be grateful, old man.

"I appreciate it. I’ll be sure to repay this debt."

"One favor, then. I’ll collect it later, so be ready."

"Understood. I’ll be waiting."

And so, I managed to smooth things over and left the bath with Sakura.

Truth is, we’re the ones imposing on them. It’s only proper to show some flexibility when we can.

---

"Hey Karl. When Sakura said 'saw me naked'... what was she talking about?"

"...Karl, did you peek at another girl again? Are you seriously trying to get a look at every girl’s body the moment they join us?"

"N-No, that’s not it. It was an accident, I swear."

Back in the room, the others—who’d clearly been eavesdropping on our conversation with Yuri downstairs—were now beginning Karl’s scolding session.

"You slashed my clothes, and Lev ended up completely naked after passing out. Do you inspect every recruit’s body or something?"

"Absolutely not. With Lev, it was a life-saving procedure. That’s... a misunderstanding, Maika."

"...Now that I think about it, it’s getting embarrassing."

Come to think of it, no one’s ever mentioned it before—Sakura fought off a demon in the bath half-naked.

...Wait, so Karl’s seen both of them naked too?

"Hey Irine, is Karl more aggressive than I thought? I figured he was a safe, harmless guy."

"Well... He’s usually polite and reserved, but I do believe he has a healthy level of desire."

He did call me hot once at that bar in the red-light district...

Maybe he’s just incredibly blessed by the god of accidental perverts.

"Spill it, you perv."

"...Karl, why do you keep seeing girls naked? Are you doing this on purpose?"

"It’s always an accident, I swear! Please stop, that hurts—aaahhh!"

As Karl writhed in pain from being pinched by the two girls in his fan club, Sakura and I watched with lukewarm sympathy in our eyes.

Ahh... Peaceful times.