In the Kitchen
Ryutaro and Grace watched Charlotte and Aurelia as they prepared dinner.
"They seem pretty close, huh?" said Ryutaro.
"Yeah, you're right. I just hope they don't cause any trouble," said Grace.
"True that," Ryutaro replied.
15 minutes later
Dinner was finally ready. As Grace set the table, she asked Ryutaro to call them over.
"Darling, please call them here for dinner," said Grace while arranging the dishes.
"Alright," Ryutaro replied.
He quickly made his way to the living room.
Upon arriving, he saw them laughing together, as if they were hiding something from him.
"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Ryutaro asked.
"Oh, Ryutaro. Nothing, really. Just discussing something interesting, right, Aurelia?" said Charlotte.
"Yeah, we were just talking about something funny, nothing else," Aurelia added.
"Really?" Ryutaro asked, looking suspicious.
"Yes, we're not hiding anything," Charlotte assured.
"Yeah, that's right," Aurelia confirmed.
Ryutaro still seemed doubtful but eventually sighed.
"Alright then, dinner's ready. Time to eat," he said.
"Oh, really? Then let's go, Charlotte!" said Aurelia.
"Eh-he, alright then," Charlotte replied.
The three of them made their way to the kitchen.
"Phew, good thing he didn't find out," Aurelia whispered.
"Yeah, that was close. If he knew… that'd be bad," Charlotte whispered back.
"Agreed," Aurelia whispered as well.
15 minutes earlier
Suddenly, Aurelia had asked Charlotte about her feelings for Ryutaro, causing Charlotte's face to flush red.
"By the way, Charlotte, do you like Ryutaro?" asked Aurelia.
Charlotte was startled by the sudden question.
"Eh… Why are you asking that out of nowhere?" she replied.
"Because your eyes always glance at him," Aurelia teased.
Her actions had betrayed her feelings, so Charlotte decided to confess.
"So, you noticed, huh? It would be a lie if I said I didn't like him… but he already has Grace, doesn't he?" Charlotte sighed.
"So, you're admitting it?" Aurelia smiled.
"Yeah, I do like him, especially his caring nature," Charlotte admitted, blushing even more.
Suddenly, she turned the question back to Aurelia.
"And what about you? Do you like him too?" Charlotte asked.
"Eh?! No way! I'm a dragon queen. There's no way I'd fall for a human, right?" Aurelia denied.
"Then why is your face red?" Charlotte smirked.
"T-This? Uh… because of the weather!" Aurelia stammered.
"The weather? But it's cold," Charlotte pointed out.
Having run out of excuses, Aurelia finally gave up.
"Alright, alright! I admit it! I like him. So what?" Aurelia said in frustration.
"Ah, so you finally admitted it. Now, tell me, why do you like him?" Charlotte asked playfully.
"It's because he's strong. The first time we met this afternoon, he helped me without hesitation, even knowing I was being hunted by Ashen Fang," Aurelia explained.
"Really?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, and he even challenged one of Ashen Fang's strongest generals," Aurelia added.
"Oh, I see… but why was he abandoned here?" Charlotte wondered.
"From what I heard, he was exiled by the kingdom because when he was summoned here, he was given the job of a farmer," Aurelia said.
"Oh, so that's the reason he was abandoned… What a waste. I used to serve that kingdom," Charlotte sighed.
"Exactly," Aurelia agreed.
They both laughed together until Ryutaro called them for dinner, unaware that Grace had overheard everything due to her sharp demon hearing.
"Hmm, interesting… So, they both like my husband too," Grace murmured.
Back to the Present
They arrived at the dining table, and Aurelia looked excited seeing the variety of food.
"Wow, the food looks delicious! Let's eat!" Aurelia said, grabbing some meat.
Meanwhile, Charlotte seemed hesitant since she was new to Ryutaro's team.
"Eh? Charlotte, why aren't you eating?" Ryutaro asked.
"Is my cooking not to your liking?" Grace added.
"N-No, it's not that! I was just… thinking about something," Charlotte replied.
"Thinking about what?" Ryutaro asked.
"Do I really deserve to be here? I mean, I fought Grace just this afternoon, and with the commander's attitude…" Charlotte hesitated.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I've already forgotten all that. We're on the same team now, aren't we?" said Grace.
"That's right! We're a family now, so don't be shy. Just treat this place like your home," Ryutaro reassured her.
"But…" Charlotte hesitated again.
"No more 'buts'! Look at Aurelia—she's eating happily even though she ruined my farm earlier," Ryutaro joked.
Hearing this, Aurelia choked on her food.
"Cough cough Why am I the target now?!" she complained.
"But it's true, isn't it?" Ryutaro smirked.
Realizing she couldn't argue, Aurelia sighed.
"Alright, alright! I admit it," she said in defeat.
"See, Charlotte? Even though you fought us before, you chose to join us in the end. We'll forget about everything," Ryutaro said.
"Yeah, it was just a small fight anyway," Grace added with a relaxed tone.
"Alright then… Let's eat," Charlotte finally said.
Hearing their words, Charlotte felt at ease and was finally able to enjoy her meal without any worries.
After Dinner
Ryutaro looked exhausted and decided to head to bed.
"Yawn… I'm so sleepy," he muttered.
Grace was surprised since he usually stayed up longer than her.
"Huh? That's unusual. You're normally the last one to sleep," Grace said.
"Maybe it's because of what happened today. After teaching Aurelia how to harvest, I had to fight Charlotte too," Ryutaro said, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh, that makes sense. Well then, good night, dear," Grace said.
"Good night, love," Ryutaro replied.
Seeing their interaction, Charlotte and Aurelia felt a little jealous.
"Look at them… When will we have a partner like Grace?" Charlotte sighed.
"Yeah… when?" Aurelia added.
Ignoring their comments, Ryutaro made his way to his room to sleep.
After Ryutaro left, Grace suddenly brought up their earlier conversation.
"By the way, I have a question. Do you two like Ryutaro?" Grace asked.
Their faces turned bright red.
"E-Eh?! No way! Besides, even if I did like him, he wouldn't feel the same about us. He probably just sees us as friends, right, Charlotte?" Aurelia panicked.
"Eh-he… yeah, we really don't have any feelings for him. Besides, he already has you, right?" Charlotte nervously added.
However, Grace smirked mischievously and teased them.
"Oh? So you don't like him? That's too bad. I was planning to allow him to have more than one wife. Even if he had ten, I wouldn't mind," Grace said playfully.
Hearing that, they both panicked.
"Eh?! Who said we don't like him?!" Charlotte blurted out.
"Exactly!" Aurelia added.
Grace burst into laughter at their reaction.
"Hahaha! So you finally admitted it," Grace laughed.
Their faces flushed red from embarrassment.
"Wait… so you were lying, Grace?" Charlotte asked.
"Of course not. It's all true," Grace replied.
"What do you mean?" Aurelia asked.
"I mean, I do allow him to have more than one wife… just not ten," Grace explained.
"Oh, I see," Charlotte sighed in relief.
"So, tell me, when did you two start liking my husband?" Grace smirked.
As they began sharing their stories, they were unaware that Ryutaro was eavesdropping because he couldn't sleep due to their noise.
"So that's what they were hiding earlier… Well, I'll just pretend I don't know," Ryutaro thought.
He continued listening while trying to fall asleep.
What will they do about their feelings? Will they confess to Ryutaro? Or will they try to get closer to him? And what will their reactions be when they find out he heard everything? Stay tuned for Chapter 16!
*If I made any minor mistakes that might be distracting, I sincerely apologize. I have done my best for this novel, and if you enjoy it, please consider giving it a like and sharing your feedback, suggestions, or criticism so I can learn and improve. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!*