VILLAIN'S HAREM IN OTOME GAME

Eren slowly opened his eyes as the bright morning sunbeams hit his face, offering a blinding "good morning." He groaned under his breath as his entire body was stiff, aching, and practically bathed in an intense blanket of radiating heat from all sides.

Glancing to his right, Mira was clinging to him tightly, snoring softly while using his right arm as her pillow. To his left, Norelia was doing the same with his left arm. And tucked right behind the professor was Emma, who had used her taller, athletic frame to hook a leg and arm completely across both of them to lock Eren into place. It’s damn impressive considering the nation’s top swordmaster had actually skipped her usual dawn training just to cuddle.

He was currently serving as a full-time body pillow for them. All circulation to his limbs had been completely severed, rendering his body gloriously numb.

Could he complain?

Absolutely not.

Eren remained completely still, refusing to disturb their peaceful sleep, silently admiring their soft, sleeping faces. All any of them wanted—and needed—was this quiet, comfortable sanctuary to recharge their batteries, even while sleeping.

"You’re already awake... Young Master?"

Eren saw his busty sugar baby cracking her eyes open. She let out a soft, catlike yawn before immediately burying her face right back against his chest to nuzzle.

"Good morning, Mira," he murmured.

Mira finally sat up, letting out a stretch that effortlessly showcased the full, ample contours of her figure beneath her thin nightdress.

"Is it... morning already?" Norelia mumbled lazily beside him, rubbing her eyes and echoing Mira’s sleepy yawn.

Shortly after, Emma stirred, letting out an exasperated huff. "I cannot believe I skipped my morning exercise just to cuddle an idiot..."

Eren remained lying on his back, his body still waiting for blood flow to re-enter all parts. The three girls sat up around him on the mattress, looking down at his motionless form like a trio of curious birds.

"What’s wrong?" Eren asked, raising a single, questioning eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing at all," Mira cooed playfully. "Too bad we don’t have time! Let’s get ready for the day."

Emma stretched her long, toned limbs. "I’m completely booked with sword instruction lectures until late afternoon."

"I have a mountain of administrative work left by my old hag and back-to-back classes," Norelia grumbled, rubbing her temples as she reluctantly slid off the mattress.

Shortly after, as blood flow aggressively re-entered Eren’s limbs, he pushed himself upright. Within forty minutes, after everyone had freshened up and dressed into their respective attire, the four of them gathered around the small wooden table in the center of his dorm room to enjoy the hot breakfast Mira had prepared.

Eren swallowed a piece of toast, wiping his mouth with a napkin as his eyes swept across the three women sitting around him. "By the way... I happen to have some exceptional news."

The petite professor paused mid-bite, looking at him with a curious glint in her red eyes. "What is it? Did you make a new magical device blueprint?"

"Better," Eren replied, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the official banking draft Aria had handed him yesterday. He slid it onto the center of the table. "I received my first official monthly allowance as an engaged man."

All three women leaned forward to inspect the paper. As their eyes scanned the staggering line of zeroes printed under the ducal seal, a collective silence descended upon the table.

"My goodness..." Mira gasped out, her eyes widening into sparkling. "Lady Aria is astronomically rich!"

"That is an absurd amount of money for a single student’s monthly allowance," Emma remarked.

Eren picked up the check and handed it directly to his red-haired girlfriend. "Mira, I’m putting this entirely under your control. I want you to invest the majority of this capital according to the specific market instructions I’ll list for you later today."

Mira’s face lit up with radiant pride, her bust swelling as she hugged the check to her chest like a prized holy relic. "Leave it to me, Young Master! I’ll show you what a daughter of a former elite merchant family can truly do!"

"However," Eren added, tapping his finger against the table, "I need you to liquidate precisely eighty thousand gold coins from that draft first."

The tanned knight raised her eyebrow. "Why do you need eighty thousand gold coins right now? And what are you planning to do with the rest? If you ever run low on funds, your father, His Grace the Duke, would gladly shower you with much more money after all your recent achievements."

Eren rested his chin on his palm, looking at all three breathtaking women sitting before him.

"Because I have zero interest in relying on my family’s name or my father’s wealth for the rest of my life," Eren stated calmly. "I am building my own independent foundation from scratch and this check is for my work done for Aria. After all... I have to support not just myself, but three extraordinary women in the future. It has to be the wealth I earned with my own hands."

The three girls blinked, warmth flaring in their chests at his straightforward declaration.

"Besides," Eren continued, a slight, sheepish smile twitching on his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I realized something that I wasn’t exactly a proper, traditional boyfriend to any of you. I’m always dragging you into research, work, or enjoying ourselves. So... this Sunday, I’m taking all three of you out on a group date. We’re going to hit the luxury district, buy whatever shopping items you want, and end it off with dinner. So, let me spoil you three."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Clatter!

Norelia’s spoon slipped from her fingers, hitting her plate before bouncing onto the floor.

"D-Date...?" the petite girl squeaked out.

"Shopping...?" Emma muttered, her composure completely shattering as she stared at him with stunned eyes.

"A whole day out together with Young Master?!" Mira gasped, clutching her burning cheeks in total, ecstatic shock.

Eren couldn’t help but laugh out loud at their synchronized breakdown.

After clearing the small dining table, Eren stepped up to the sink to clean his dishes. The atmosphere was cosy and peaceful with Mira humming a cheerful tune in the background as she carefully filed away the massive draft into her new administrative ledger.

Suddenly, a soft tug at the hem of his shirt made Eren pause mid-rinse.

He turned his head to see Norelia standing right behind him. The petite professor was looking up at him through her brown bangs, her small fingers clutching his fabric with surprising strength.

"Oh, right," Eren realized, turning off the tap as he wiped his hands on a towel. "I actually forgot to mention—I need your help to diagnose some—"

"Eren," Norelia interrupted, her voice surprisingly serious. "I need your help."

Looking down at her, he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were not radiating affection or cheekiness like earlier. Instead, she was hiding something, some deep burden that she couldn’t reveal to anyone.

Eren gave a slow nod, ready to hear her words.