VILLAIN'S HAREM IN OTOME GAME

"Let’s have a duel. Just like the last one!" Reinhardt shouted, his voice cracking slightly. "And this time, the winner gets Aria! The loser packs their bags and leaves the academy permanently!"

Aria immediately slammed her palm directly against her face, letting out an audible, agonizing groan.

Eren merely raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired simp. ’Bro, she’s already mine. In fact, we officially sealed the deal two nights ago. Is he intentionally asking to be publicly cuckolded at this point?’

’Whatever.’

Around the courtyard, every student gathered held their collective breath, eyes wide with anticipation. After months of dry academic lectures, everyone was practically eager to watch a grand noble beatdown. Some were even ready to bring popcorn to the arena.

Eren looked Reinhardt dead in the eye. "Fuck no," he said straightforward.

The color instantly drained from Reinhardt’s face. He blinked, stunned by unhesitating refusal. "W-What?! Are you seriously backing off?! Are you scared of me, Volsver?!"

Eren scratched his chin, a long-suffering sigh. "It has nothing to do with being scared, Reinhardt. It’s quite simple, really: Aria is my girl."

Gasps!

A collective wave of muffled squeals and murmurs rippled through the crowd. In a single, nonchalant sentence, Eren had effortlessly transformed a high-stakes cheating scandal into a prime-time romance drama.

Aria coughed softly into her fist, desperately trying to maintain her cool, elegant posture—though the flush across her cheeks completely betrayed her.

"She’s not some prize or plaything to be wagered in a petty, ego-driven duel," Eren continued casually, waving a dismissive hand. "Even if I’m sure I would win, I’m not putting up my fiancée as a betting chip. She’s the girl who believed in me. Why would I betray her by waging her?"

Aria bit her lower lip, her golden eyes shimmering as her heart did a backflip against her ribs. She pressed her hand over her chest, internally screaming at how effortlessly her fiancé had just dismantled her aristocratic composure.

Reinhardt’s jaw clenched so hard a vein bulged on his face. "You’re just chickening out! You’re making excuses because you know I was stronger!"

"Look, man... I am a very busy individual," Eren stated dryly. "I have research to write, patent approvals to clear, and an actual life to live. I do not have three hours to waste filing official duel permits with the council board."

Eren paused, tilting his head as a smirk crossed his face.

"However... if you’re truly that desperate, Instructor Emma happens to be have a joint upper-class swordsmanship training session this afternoon," Eren offered smoothly. "We can settle this during the mock sparring session. Sounds good?"

Reinhardt wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Whether a formal duel on the grand arena or an unceremonious beating during class, all that mattered was crushing Eren into the dirt, reclaiming his stolen pride, and dragging Aria back to his side where she belonged.

"Sounds good," Reinhardt declared, a vengeful grin spreading across his face. "Don’t you dare run away this afternoon, Volsver."

Eren extended a hand with a polite gesture. "Let’s meet this afternoon then."

The simp didn’t even bother to shake his hand. Sneering, he cast one final, possessive glance toward Aria before turning around and walking away, the surrounding crowd hurriedly parting to give the furious simp a way.

The second he disappeared, the quiet courtyard erupted into a frenzy of excited whispering.

"Did you hear that?!"

"It’s not an official duel, but they’re going at it during Sire Emma’s class!"

"Who cares about official permits? It’s going to be way more entertaining than last time!"

"Quick, tell everyone! We need to reserve front-row seats before the training grounds fill up!"

Excited by witnessing the drama unfold, the onlookers dispersed at lightning speed, eager to spread the gossip across every corner of the academy.

Eren ran a hand through his dark hair, letting out a long, weary exhale. ’Whether it’s modern social media or a fantasy magic academy, people’s primal urge to watch a chaotic public brawl remains entirely universal.’

Turning his attention away from the onlookers, Eren stepped toward the side of the courtyard as he looked at the sweet, purple cat still clinging tightly to Alice. The poor airhead was practically shaking with anxiety. One misstep and her curse would be exposed to everyone.

"Don’t worry, Miss Violet. Everyone is gone now," Eren said softly, stepping closer.

Violet slowly looked up, her purple eyes wide and trembling as she finally released her desperate grip on the blonde Saintess. She hated herself now. Not because of the curse inside her, but because she had been too frozen, too weak to even stand up for herself.

"Are you alright?" Eren asked gently. "Did Reinhardt actually do or say anything to hurt you before we arrived?"

Violet clutched her hands to her chest, keeping her head low as tears began to spill over. "I-I’m so sorry..." she sobbed out, her voice cracking. "If... if I had just confessed the truth about my curse to everyone... you and Lady Aria wouldn’t have been dragged into this awful mess! It’s... it’s all my fault...!"

"Are you out of your mind, Violet?!" Alice blurted out, her jaw dropping in utter alarm. "Exposing your curse to that mob would have ruined your entire life!"

Before Eren could step in with reassuring commentary, Aria smoothly stepped past him.

"May I handle this, Eren?" Aria asked.

Eren raised his hands, stepping aside with a smirk. "Be my guest. Just try not to make the poor girl cry any harder than she already is."

Aria stopped directly in front of the trembling, purple-haired cutie. Violet remained hunched over, her tears dripping onto the cobblestones as she muttered another soft, heartbroken apology.

"What precisely are you apologizing for, Miss Violet?" Aria demanded.

"I-I’m... I’m so sorry..." Violet hiccuped, her chest heaving.

"Stop crying," Aria commanded loudly.

Alice instinctively stepped forward, looking protective. "Wait, Lady Aria, please go easy on—"

Aria raised a hand, instantly silencing the Saintess candidate. Then, without a hesitation, the blue-haired villainess reached out and gently cupped Violet’s flushed cheeks with her soft palm, forcing the weeping girl to face up.

Violet blinked, her tear-filled purple eyes locking straight into Aria’s striking, golden eyes.

Aria leaned in ridiculously close, their noses practically brushing as her eyes displaying possessive intensity.

"Stop crying now," Aria purred in a low tone. "I thoroughly hate seeing my cute little cat shed tears. As a proud kitten of my social circle, you are never permitted to cry or apologies ever again. especially not in front of filth like Reinhardt."

Aria’s lips curved into a captivating smirk as she stroked Violet’s soft cheek with her thumb. "Understand? If you break this rule again... I might have to lock your lips with mine to shut you up in a much more convenient way."

Violet’s breath hitched. The overwhelming proximity of the breathtaking villainess, combined with the scandalous threat, turned her face red like a cherry.