[Nightmare]
Chapter 25 [*Honorary Harem]

Helix sighed in self-deprecation.

"I… won't lie to you.

I would… like for you to take off your shirt, Marie.

I'm not sure if that's the thing to say…." Helix replied.

Charlotte chuckled in amazement.

"My favorite part about you is that you sigh, tell the truth straight, and it magically comes out charming." Charlotte remarked with a bright smile.

"I'm glad? I feel like I've stepped into an alternate dimension where women like moody men that actively try to be kind." Helix replied with a self-deprecating smile.

Charlotte shrugged with a smug smile, two women blushed, and one watched silently with uncharacteristic interest.

"A-Anyway… um…." Marie announced shyly.

"Treat it like a band-aid.

Rip it off and get it over with."

Helix chuckled and gave Charlotte an amused smile she didn't fail to notice.

'I don't think I could handle that woman… but I'm a depraved sucker for her type of crazy.' He thought with equal parts self-deprecation and genuine consideration.

'Marie is a dreamlike woman, and Charlotte is a death flag, but… right now she's shamelessly attractive.'

However, when he saw Marie start moving, his mind shifted focus.

She was wearing a simple black tank top with a thin silver necklace.

Marie carefully pulled the necklace over top of her lush red hair and put it on the table stand.

Then she grabbed the bottom of her shirt shyly.

Everyone watched her with anticipation.

Marie's face flushed with embarrassment, but she steeled her resolve and pulled up her shirt.

Like Charlotte, Marie was naturally beautiful.

She invested her gift in mana and magic enhancement instead of her appearance.

However, when Helix saw her tone, stomach, and curves, he wouldn't have believed that.

Marie was wearing a simple pink padded bra she wore before entering Myriad.

When she pulled off her shirt and her rich, natural red hair fell into her shoulders; he was stunned for a moment.

"See! See! What did I tell you?"

Helix snapped out of his trance when he saw Marie staring at him.

Both of them blushed.

Yet, strangely, neither of them turned away.

"Hmmm? What do we have here?" Charlotte commentated with a wide smile.

"Helix! Say the first thing on your mind!" She demanded while snapping her fingers.

Helix gave them a helpless smile.

"I'm admiring the Myriad Abduction Services Task Force for having good taste in chosen ones." He sighed.

Marie's eyes widened, and Charlotte burst into laughter.

"Marie! Hah…. M-Marie! Hahaha."

"W-What?" She asked in a daze.

"Have you ever heard him say such a genuine compliment before?

I genuinely believe I'm a chosen one now!"

Helix would usually be embarrassed and awkward, but he felt comfortable and… content with the situation.

He was enjoying himself beyond simple desire.

For someone melancholy like Helix, it was a strange and pleasant experience.

When Marie saw the genuineness in his eyes, her eyes glittered for a moment.

Helix found her happiness strange.

"Hey questionably-virgin boy." Charlotte called out.

Helix chuckled.

"What is it?" He asked with a slight smile.

"Would you like to join us?" She asked while slapping her chest lightly.

Helix's self-consciousness overwhelmed him, and he gave her a wry smile.

Nevertheless, he sighed and unceremoniously took off his shirt.

Emelia stared at him intently.

While she saw his bare chest every night that he wasn't in a hospital bed, it seemed different in the atmosphere.

"It only seems fair." He said with a slightly self-conscious expression.

Charlotte gave him elevator eyes.

"Hey…. Not bad. What do you think, Marie?"

"I… find you attractive, Helix." Marie announced bashfully.

Helix's eyes widened for a second, but he relaxed.

"Tell me, Hellie. Do you still think that there aren't any women that would join your harem?"

Marie blushed with a shocked expression and hid her face.

Helix opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"To be honest, I'm surprised to learn that Marie shows interest in me." He confessed.

Helix looked at Charlotte and sighed.

"As for you, I can't tell if you're teasing me or not.

I find it strange, but I kind of like that mystery." He replied.

Charlotte blushed slightly, and she touched her face to check the heat.

"There you go with the honest sigh charm again…." She commented in surprise.

"To be honest, I don't know whether I'm teasing you or not.

Right now… it just doesn't feel like it matters…." She confessed.

Charlotte shrugged after failed contemplation.

"How about this? Only for tonight, we'll be an [honorary harem]." She suggested with a mischievous smile.

Helix narrowed his eyes on her to communicate he understood she was up to something.

It only lasted a second before he burst into laughter.

"I'm not going to say no." He said with a hopeless smile.

"What about you, Marie?"

Marie put her hand to the corner of her mouth with a bashful expression.

"I-I never thought I'd say this, but I'll join your harem… for tonight." She replied before her face turned red to the tip of her ears.

Charlotte gave her a wide grin.

"Ooooooh?" She commented.

"I-It's… fun." Marie justified.

Helix gave the two a genuine smile that captivated them for a moment.

"I agree. It's strange, surreal, and enjoyable." He chuckled.

Then he turned his gaze to Riley.

"Riley, would you like to join the honorary harem?" He asked.

Riley nodded once and did so immediately without hesitation.

"Would you like me to take off my shirt now?" She asked in a low voice.

Helix chuckled.

"If you want to." He replied with a warm smile.

Without a moment's hesitation, she carefully stripped off her blue V-neck shirt.

'How is this happening?' Helix asked the non-Elise gods.

Helix gazed at her smooth body and simple white bra with satisfaction.

"Emelia, would you like to join the honorary harem for tonight?" Helix asked with a gentle smile.

"H-Helix… is that a formal request?" She asked with desperate confusion.

Helix shook his head.

"You can only join if you want to join." He replied.

After watching her squirm with a complicated expression, Helix spoke up.

"Let me rephrase the question.

Do you [want] to join the honorary harem, even though you can't?" He asked.

The three other women shot him a quizzical glance at his strange choice of words.

The words felt uninviting, but they wouldn't believe he would be that way, so it was interesting.

"If I wasn't a servant…." Emelia said with a bright red face.

She fidgeted nervously with a conflicted expression.

"I… would like to." She confessed with a cringing expression.

"Excellent! Welcome to the honorary harem!" He announced boldly with a bright smile.

"W-Wa—"

"As a new member, you have the duty bound responsibility to enjoy yourself."

"H-Hel—"

"You must blush at least three times.

Though you've met the quota, so you're officially a top performer." He said while stroking his chin.

Charlotte and Marie watched his act with excitement and baffled enthusiasm.

Their grins couldn't be wider.

"I-I…"

"And you must be cute.

Hmmm. You've crushed that task too." Helix declared.

Emelia covered her face with her hands.

"Good personality. Check.

Loyal behavior to myself and the other women. Check.

Stunning smile. Check.

Enjoyable to be around. Check.

You're perfect.

I would love it if you were in the honorary harem for tonight.

It would make me very happy.

What do you think, mistresses?

Would it make you happy if Emelia was in the honorary harem?" He asked with a fun smile.

"Emelia, I would be humbled if you were in the honorary harem." Charlotte declared with a dramatic, playful expression.

"Emelia, please join us!" Marie said excitedly.

The trait that drew her to Helix was his relationship with Emelia.

So her eyes were naturally glittering.

When Emelia saw Marie's pure, unbridled happiness, her heart melted.

"T-Then I'll be honored to join…." Emelia replied with a hand covering her mouth.

Charlotte and Marie celebrated the development.

Helix chuckled warmly when he saw Emelia's dumbfounded expression.

"Helix…." Emelia whispered.

"Yes, Emelia?" He asked.

"Would… you… uh… like me to expose myself as well?" She asked bashfully.

Charlotte and Marie's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"We're finally going to get an answer tonight!" Charlotte exclaimed under her breath.

"What… are you talking about… Charlotte?" Marie asked.

"Aren't you curious if they've had sex?" Charlotte asked with a serious expression.

Marie's eyes widened.

"I'm certain that they didn't on the first day.

But we've been here for a month now, and she gets more bashful when he's talked about by the day." Charlotte commented.

Marie nodded.

"Hurry! Watch for the way she reacts to her getting undressed." Charlotte whispered.

Helix chuckled when he heard the conversation between the two.

Helix gave Emelia a gentle but also sensual smile.

"Would I like to see your body?" He chuckled.

"To be honest, I… would enjoy seeing your body… a lot." He confessed.

"Y-You would?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes. As long as you genuinely want to." He replied with a gentle smile.

Emelia gave Helix a bright, happy smile shyly.

"I… do." She replied.

"Then…."

Helix's eyes suddenly widened with shock.

—

[A/N: I hope you enjoy the examination of cliches, emotions, and realism.

Thank you for reading. Power stones = content. Thank you for reading!]

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content.

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