Episode 152: Clearing Things Up #2
Yohan’s vacation passed by quickly.
Spending time with his lovers and enjoying dates, he soon found himself preparing to return to work at the Purification Bureau. To be honest, it was dreadful. The feeling of going back to work after a long break…
“Hm~ Hmhm~”
Meanwhile, Francia hummed a tune as she enjoyed a light breakfast. She would be happy no matter what she did now—after all, she was about to be discharged from her official duties.
‘I’ll be finishing my mission at the Purification Bureau soon, too…’
The problem was that the last remaining region was the north. No matter when he went, it would be cold. At this time of year, piercing winds would lash against his skin, and snowstorms would rage.
For Francia, it wouldn’t be a big deal since it was her hometown.
“Sigh.”
Yohan let out a small sigh and put on his uniform.
The Purification Bureau was now preparing for the final mission: purging the remaining demonic lairs in the north. That meant the workload would become quite heavy.
The lairs In the Fervache territory weren’t particularly high-level, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
“Do you dislike going back to work that much?”
Francia asked after finishing her meal.
“Well, of course. I had almost a month off.”
“Hehe, but you should still do your best. After all, you’ve purified most of the empire’s demonic lairs.”
Francia giggled and pressed her lips against Yohan’s cheek. A soft sensation spread through his body.
“I just recharged you so you can stay strong today.”
“Hm, I suddenly feel a surge of energy. If you do the other side too, I might fully recover.”
“Hah, what are you saying!”
At Yohan’s playful words, Francia couldn’t hold back her laughter and chuckled.
Rising onto her tiptoes, she planted another light kiss on his other cheek.
“There, happy now?”
“Now I can give it my all.”
Yohan chuckled softly.
It was a satisfying morning.
***
The Purification Bureau
Eris stood in front of the office door, taking a deep breath.
“Whew…”
Why was she so nervous?
She found herself both pitiful and ridiculous for falling in love like this. Yet, it wasn’t exactly a bad feeling.
So this was why people warned about love.
Of course, this was an important moment.
She was meeting Yohan after a long time.
But this was too much. She was hesitating just to step inside, as if she were a timid schoolgirl. The realization hit her—her condition was severe.
A hopeless disease.
‘Let’s just go in.’
Steeling herself, Eris took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times before turning the handle. Inside, only the faint rustling of paperwork could be heard.
“It’s been a while, Eris.”
As she looked forward, Yohan greeted her with a smile.
Her heart pounded violently.
Was it because they hadn’t seen each other in a while? It felt like her resistance had weakened significantly.
“Hm, ahem. It has been a while, Director.”
Eris turned her gaze slightly and cleared her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.
She had come for work, yet just facing him filled her with excitement.
“What’s the matter?”
Yohan set aside the documents he was reading and asked.
“T-The number of demonic lairs in the north has been fully identified.”
“Already? We just resumed operations today.”
“The Fervache Ducal House assisted us.”
The Fervache family had been managing and preventing the spread of demonic lairs in the north for years. Their report would be far more accurate than anything the Purification Bureau could gather on its own.
“That’s great. Well done. I knew I could count on you, Eris.”
“Th-Thank you…”
At Yohan’s gentle smile, Eris blushed slightly and averted her gaze.
She carefully covered her mouth with her hand.
It was the face of a girl in love.
“…”
Rudbeckia narrowed her eyes as she stared at Eris. A sharp gaze. However, Eris didn’t notice at all. Or rather, Rudbeckia was nothing more than an afterthought to her.
‘Tsk.’
Clicking her tongue inwardly, Rudbeckia furrowed her brows, displeased. That woman was an eyesore. It was too obvious that she was aiming for Yohan.
“Here is the related report. I’ve organized it separately.”
“You even organized it?”
“Yes. I didn’t have much else to do…”
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
“N-no, not at all…”
Yohan gave her an awkward smile as he took the report from her.
He was well aware that Eris harbored feelings for him that went beyond mere admiration. However, he maintained a professional distance to preserve the relationship between a superior and a subordinate.
“…There certainly are a lot of demonic lairs in the north.”
“Yes. And their levels vary greatly.”
Yohan skimmed through the report.
There weren’t any Special-Grade ones, but there were numerous First-Grade ones. Managing these demonic lairs was already a burden, and to make matters worse, they would flood every winter. No wonder the Duke of Fervache was always so busy.
“There’s a lot to prepare. We need to brace for the cold as well.”
Extreme cold and heat both accelerate physical exhaustion. While officers could endure such conditions, it would still consume mana at an increased rate, making it a serious concern.
“Eris, I’ll leave the training to you.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
“…”
Eris’s body stiffened. She had confidently met his gaze, but as soon as she did, her entire body froze. Why did she become so weak like this? She was frustrated with herself.
But if she kept hesitating, she would only fall behind. She needed to deepen their relationship beyond what it was now. To do that, she needed to take a small step forward.
“U-um, Director…”
“What is it?”
Yohan looked up from the report. Eris hesitated, debating whether to say it or not, then clenched her fists tightly.
“Do you… have time this evening?”
At that moment, Rudbeckia, who had been secretly glancing back and forth between them, widened her eyes. She stared at Yohan and Eris in shock.
“…Evening?”
Yohan blinked.
It was completely unexpected.
“There’s a restaurant I’d like to visit… with you, Director.”
Eris lowered her head deeply. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Her usually pale skin had turned red.
It was a proposal made with great courage.
A clear invitation for a date.
For a brief moment, the office froze. Yohan’s gaze locked onto her. Her heart pounded wildly.
‘I… said it.’
Eris wanted to run away somewhere. But she forced a smile, pretending to stay calm.
Yohan might refuse.
But…
“I’ll make time this evening.”
Yohan’s response was unexpected.
“Ah…!”
She quickly covered her mouth. Turning around, she hurried toward the door, trying to hide her expression. The corners of her lips twitched. She couldn’t suppress her joy.
“T-then… I’ll see you after work!”
“…Alright.”
Yohan gave a small nod.
With light steps, Eris left the office. Click. As the door shut, Elena and Rudbeckia’s gazes immediately turned to Yohan.
“The Director is quite the playboy, isn’t he?”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You just accepted the proposal of a Special-Class Knight Highlander.”
Elena smiled mischievously. Her curved eyes were full of amusement.
“Despite the fact that the Lady of Fervache is present…”
“…”
Elena and Yohan had grown quite close, so he could take jokes like that from her. The problem was that her words weren’t entirely a joke.
“…I can’t even deny it because it’s true.”
Yohan admitted it himself—he was a philanderer. He had been enchanting multiple women without explicitly rejecting them. In the past, he had firmly drawn a line and cut things off coldly if anyone tried to cross it.
However, after accepting Rudella, his aversion to polygamy had significantly lessened. Unlike before, when he was just a lower noble, there was no longer an issue if he chose to accept multiple women.
Had he simply been suppressing his desires all this time, only for them to explode now?
Whatever the case, the fact remained—he was a debauched man.
“I don’t mind if you meet multiple women, Director. But please be careful in public—there are many eyes watching.”
Elena smiled faintly, a subtle smirk playing on her lips, carrying a hint of mischief.
“I’ll be careful…”
Her advice wasn’t overstepping boundaries or unnecessary meddling. As his aide, she knew that Yohan Lahart’s reputation directly impacted her as well.
Meanwhile, Rudbeckia was so taken aback that she couldn’t even speak. She couldn’t believe it. He had actually accepted Eris’s invitation? What was he thinking?
‘Don’t tell me… even Eris now?’
Her fingertips suddenly felt cold. That made three already. She wasn’t officially in a relationship with Yohan yet, but she was practically a “prospective” lover. He had even invited her to move into his mansion.
‘Was Yohan’s desire always this strong…?’
Had his increased strength after his regression changed something within him? There were certainly rumors—stories that men with high mana reserves had absurdly strong libidos and stamina.
‘Come to think of it, even before the regression, Yohan wouldn’t stop after just once. No… even five times weren’t enough. I literally collapsed from exhaustion.’
Rudbeckia felt dizzy.
She was more than happy—truly, sincerely thrilled—that Yohan had such a strong sex drive and stamina. However, she was not happy about more women being added to the mix.
‘What should I do…?’
Should she just turn a blind eye for his sake? But if Eris joined in, that meant another rival competing for the second spot. Yohan’s love for her would be divided even further.
However, she wasn’t even officially his lover yet. And considering she herself had entered his life as a concubine, trying to push Eris away would seem hypocritical.
‘Ugh…!’
Her mind spun with chaotic thoughts. If she had known things would turn out like this, she should have confessed to Yohan and made their relationship official earlier. Her past self was such a fool.
‘…But there’s only one thing I need to do.’
As soon as she reached that conclusion, her eyes subtly changed. There was no need to panic blindly. She just had to make sure Yohan was drawn toward her.
‘I need to be prepared.’
Meanwhile, Yohan—
‘Things have gotten tangled.’
He let out a deep sigh.
From the start, he never intended to take multiple wives. But the moment he accepted Rudella, it was already too late to turn back.
That didn’t mean he disliked having multiple lovers. If he was being honest, he wanted to do whatever he pleased. However, when he thought about Francia and Rudella, he knew he couldn’t be so reckless.
‘…I need to make a decision.’
If he was going to embrace polygamy, he needed to be shameless about it. If not, then he had to start rejecting people firmly.
Right now, he was simply being indecisive and pathetic.
Scratch, scratch.
Having made up his mind, Yohan refocused on his work.