Chapter 36: Confession
Yerin giggled, her eyes curving into bright crescents as she shook her head. "Silly Seth, I don’t actually mind it! Polygamy is super common in high society and the supernatural realms. Powerful people naturally attract multiple partners, and people are drawn to power. There are tons of men with multiple wives, and plenty of powerful women with multiple husbands out there."
She grinned widely, her dark eyes flashing with a playful, excited spark as she squeezed my hand. "Besides, I actually look forward to it! I want to enjoy this crazy life, too, but I want to do it alongside the people I love."
I looked at her earnest, beaming face and felt a wave of affection sweep through me. "I promise you, Yerin... I’ll make sure you never suffer again."
Hearing those words, Yerin pulled herself up and kissed me passionately once more, her arms wrapping tightly around my shoulders.
When we finally pulled back, she flashed me a sweet, expectant smile. "So... what are we now?"
I grinned, resting my forehead against hers. "Yerin, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"
"YES!" she squealed happily, burying her face into my chest and hugging me with all her strength.
We spent a few more minutes lying together, enjoying the quiet bliss of our new dynamic, before a thought crossed my mind.
"Hey," I asked, looking down at her. "Do you want to tell my parents or yours about us? It’s a bit complicated for me since I’m still figuring out how high society handles family stuff, so I wanted to ask your opinion first."
Yerin waved her hand dismissively, giggling. "Honestly? Nobody in the family would mind at all! Heck, Aunt Alice and Uncle Julian would probably be thrilled! In elite families, keeping relationships within trusted, high-grade bloodlines is considered a huge win."
She paused, humming softly as she rested her cheek on my collarbone.
"But... I don’t want to tell everyone just yet. Let me keep you all to myself for a little bit longer."
She didn’t elaborate further, but I didn’t press her. I just smiled and kissed the top of her head.
"Whenever you’re ready, babe. We’ll tell them on your timeline."
Yerin beamed up at me, clearly delighted by my answer.
Then, remembering something that had bothered me since last night, I raised an eyebrow at her.
"By the way... how on earth did you get into my room last night through the wardrobe?"
Yerin burst into a proud, triumphant laugh.
"Oh! The mansion has secret emergency exit passages built inside the walls! They connect all the master suites together in case of an attack. I found the hidden latch in my closet and used the tunnel to sneak straight into your room!"
I stood... well, lay... completely speechless for three seconds before shaking my head with a helpless laugh.
Of course she used a secret emergency tunnel just to jump my bones, I thought. It fit her chaotic, unpredictable personality far too well.
I let out a long sigh, looking at the sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains.
"Alright, as much as I want to stay under this blanket forever, it’s time to wake up and head downstairs. Mom and Dad are probably waiting for us to explain the whole Astral Soul situation."
I looked down at her with a mischievous smirk, wiggling my eyebrows.
"Unless... you want to accompany me to the shower?"
Yerin’s eyes lit up, and for a split second, she looked genuinely tempted. But then she let out a dramatic groan, winking at me as she shook her head.
"As much as I would love to jump on your dick again right now, and trust me, I loved every single second of last night, if we go into that bathroom together, we won’t come out for three hours," she teased, giving my chest a playful pat. "Aunt Alice would definitely send Val to drag us out! We have to hold back for now."
Before I could even reply, Yerin scrambled out from beneath the sheets, completely unbothered by her nakedness as she grabbed her clothes from the floor, threw them on with quick speed, and darted toward the wardrobe.
She turned back to give me a bright, blown kiss.
"See you at breakfast, handsome!"
With a soft click, the secret passage panel closed, leaving me alone in the quiet bedroom.
I lay on the bed for a moment, looking up at the ceiling with a wide, helpless grin on my face.
I pushed myself out of the king-sized bed, taking a quick shower and brushing my teeth before throwing on a clean, casual fit, a comfortable dark shirt and relaxed trousers.
Walking back into the main bedroom, my eyes fell on the sheer, chaotic disaster Yerin and I had left behind. Pillows were scattered all over the floor, the heavy duvet was twisted into a tangled heap at the foot of the bed, and wrinkled sheets bore obvious signs to the intense hours we’d spent together.
I let out a low, helpless sigh.
’Paige... mind fixing up the room before someone walks in?’
[One quick reality cleanup, coming right up!]
In an instant, a faint ripple swept through the bedroom. The bedsheets smoothed themselves out, the pillows drifted gracefully back into position, and the rumpled duvet folded itself into pristine perfection.
[Oho? Look at that goofy grin on your face, Host!] Paige’s voice instantly turned teasing, practically dripping with playful delight. [Someone’s looking extremely satisfied this morning! Lost your virginity to a world-famous pop star and secured a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend all in one night. Not bad for a former restaurant worker, huh?]
I couldn’t help smiling, a warm, relaxed feeling settling deep in my chest. "Can’t argue with that."
[Hehe, don’t get too complacent yet, boss,] Paige giggled knowingly. [Trust me, with your luck, and your status, Yerin is definitely just the first. You’re going to attract a whole line of incredible women soon enough.]
I shook my head with a quiet laugh, deciding to change the subject before she could tease me any further. ’Right, right. Moving on... hey, Paige, I’ve been meaning to ask you something about yesterday.’
[Hmm? Ask away!]
’Did you grant me that Astral Soul?’ I asked, leaning against the edge of the bed as I recalled the boundless, infinite power that had awakened during the ghost encounter. ’Or was it part of the system’s functions?’
[Nope!] Paige answered instantly, her tone shifting from playful banter to thoughtful. [That Astral Soul belongs entirely to you, Seth. It’s your innate, true nature. The system only unsealed the lock that was holding it back.]
She paused for a second before adding softly, [To be completely honest, Host... I suspect your special Astral Soul is the exact reason the Creator of the system chose you in the first place.]
I blinked, my eyes narrowing slightly as a genuine spark of curiosity flared in my mind. ’The Creator chose me because of my Astral Soul?’
[Yep,] Paige hummed, sounding amused by my reaction. [There are countless mortal souls across infinite worlds, but the Creator specifically picked you to receive the Do-As-You-Please System. A power that absolute doesn’t just land on a random guy by pure coincidence, boss.]
I stared at the quiet room for a moment, absorbing her words. The mysterious Creator, the boundless Astral World, my own awakened power... what had started as a simple, stress-free life of luxury was slowly revealing layers I had never even dreamed of.
A faint, intrigued smirk touched my lips. ’Well... now I’m genuinely curious.’