After that awkward moment, and after taking a dozen sharp heels to the face, Hannah dragged me inside her house. She immediately shoved me on the couch and then stormed upstairs to change.

"Dumbass! Dick! Dense bastard! Asshole!"

Oh yeah. And she cursed me out the entire time, her harsh voice echoing through the house.

Though, considering the situation, I didn't blame her...

I sighed and rubbed my face. "I really should have picked up on that..."

Was this because I was playing dense too long? Hannah made it clear what she wanted... and I normally would have picked up on that and made excuses to get out of the way. But here I was marching straight into hell like a dumbass... and now things couldn't go back to that ambiguous state we were in.

To sum it up... I was fucked.

Well, I guess that's what Hannah would have wanted, but still.

"...Dammit, I guess I really have to start sorting this out, huh?"

Hannah was quiet now. Probably fuming on the inside and dying from embarrassment.

Knowing her, after she came out, she would pretend that nothing happened.

But if she did, that would also mean that nothing would happen again.

In short, this was the route lock. If this was a game, then what I said and did here would determine our relationship going forward.

...And if this was a game, this would be where I saved to make sure I didn't mess things up. But this wasn't a game. This was reality... and I was also sure that situations like this were going to come up again in the future.

A door closed from up above. At the same time, Hannah walked back down.

She had changed back into a prim and proper uniform. Dress shirt, H-line skirt, sharp glasses... Her face was a bit flushed, but she looked back to normal. Composed... and a bit cold.

I didn't say anything. Not yet. For now, I watched to gauge the situation.

...Well, there was always using Transcendent Insight to pick her brain and find the right way out, but that wasn't right. Instead... whatever happened next would happen and I'd just grit my teeth and bear it.

Hannah sat down across from me.

When she did, I pulled out a bowl of ramen that I'd made for her earlier and set it down on the table in front of us, along with a spoon and fork. "...Here's your ramen."

"...Thanks." Hannah took the bowl and started eating.

I sat back and waited.

Hannah let out a sigh and placed the bowl down.

I stared at her and said, "So... ramen."

Hannah's eye twitched and she said, "Nothing happened today. Got it?"

"...But something did."

Hannah blushed and averted her gaze. "I'm stressed, overworked and didn't get much sleep, okay? I just did something stupid, so-"

"Hannah."

Hannah froze and then turned to look at me. Seeing my serious expression, she groaned and covered her face. "Fuck. Fine. We can talk about it... But seriously. What the hell?" She glared at me and said, "I gathered up all my courage to do all of that and ask you to come over, and you think it's just about ramen. How fucking dense are you?"

"To be fair, I just came back from taking over half of Seoul's criminal underworld."

And running away from Claire's confession as well... something I also needed to sort out.

"You-" Hannah let out a deep sigh and took off her glasses. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "God fucking dammit, Jihu. First you cause me stress, then you freaking kill the mood, and now... Ugh. Why the hell do I even like you?"

I gave her a wry smile and said, "Because I'm a reliable partner?"

"Like hell you are." She glared at me and said, "A guy like you running around stealing girl's hearts is the literal enemy of all women in existence."

I coughed and rubbed the back of my neck. "...Sorry?"

"Hah..." Hannah let out a deep sigh. "Whatever. So what? You planning to toss me aside now? Or are we going to just keep it strictly business?"

"I could never toss you aside, Hannah."

"Hmph." Hannah leaned back and crossed her arms. "That's exactly what a shameless flirt like you would say. But words aren't enough. If you're serious... I want proof." She narrowed her eyes and said, "You might think you've been smart by playing dumb, and some of your girls might believe it, but I know you're not an idiot. So... tell me. No, show me." Her expression flickered, the cold façade vanishing to show a vulnerable young woman. "...Are you serious about me?"

I was quiet and stared at her.

Hannah stared back, her confident mask gone. For once, her true self laid bare.

Seeing that... I nodded. "I am. But Hannah... I'm greedy. I love spending time with you and everything and I-"

"Great. Sign this then."

Without hesitation, Hannah pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it in front of me. Placing her hand on it, she slid it forward and said, "If you're really serious... Then sign this. Like you said, you already put a ring on me like I asked. So make it official and take responsibility."

I glanced down.

It was a marriage license.

Hannah's name was already on there with her signature. Mine was printed as well, leaving only the spot for the signing.

I looked back at her.

"Well?" Hannah raised an eyebrow.

"...Didn't you say that we'd probably kill each other if we got married?"

"You already make me want to kill you anyways with the crazy bullshit you put me through, so is it really any different? And besides, didn't *you* say you'd treat your wife very well?"

I stared at Hannah and thought about it.

To say that I loved Hannah would be pushing it... Then again, I didn't really know what 'love' meant anyway. But what I did know was that I relied on her a lot and she always supported me. Not only that, but it was fun hanging out with her, and I always felt better after bantering with her.

Being married to her... I didn't think that I would mind it much. In fact, I was pretty sure that not much would change other than how close we were with each other. But...

I hesitated, thinking about Flone.

And then I got a phone call.

I flinched and glanced at my phone to see the caller ID. Jinhee.

Hannah waved me off. "Go ahead."

I nodded and then answered. "Jinhee?"

"Nope! It's me, Jihu!"

"Flone?" I started to sweat and then looked at Hannah.

She sighed and reached for the paper.

"Yep! Anyway... I thought that you might be in trouble with your other girls right about now so I wanted to tell you something... Ah, you're probably with another girl right now, right?"

I let out a wry smile. "...You know me well, huh, Flone?"

"Of course! I know you the best. Now do you think I could talk to her?"

I glanced at Hannah.

Hannah stared back. "What?"

"...She says she wants to talk to you."

Hannah blinked. "Who? Your Saintess?"

"It's just Flone, but yes."

"...Alright." She picked up the phone from me. When she did, she glared at me and said, "No eavesdropping."

"...I'll try. But it's kind of hard when I've got superhuman hearing, you know?"

"Tch. Whatever. Anyway... What did you want to talk about, Miss Saintess?"

Flone's voice echoed, but it was soft. Inaudible while mixed in with the static.

...Well, if I really tried I could make it out. But I pointedly respected their privacy.

Instead... I thought about the timing of Flone calling me.

Was the world really looking out for me? No. I doubted that.

Then maybe it was that woman's intuition. Flone always did seem to know whenever I was troubled or needed cheering up... Maybe she sensed something was off with me? After what I did to save her, we *did* share a pretty deep bond. Both in terms of relationship and because of our powers...

Wait.

I paused to think about that.

Flone kept mentioning that she knew me best. And her powers were derived in part from mine. She said that Teresa mentioned Flone's status was also different than the normal status since it wasn't granted by the gods... and Gula mentioned something about that too.

Then...

If people who served the gods grew closer to the one they served, and if the connection with me and Flone was something like that because of her status...

Did that mean she could read my thoughts this entire time? Or was it just an enhanced empathy?

I frowned and looked over at Hannah.

Hannah didn't talk, only listened. As she did, countless emotions crossed her face. And then she let out a deep sigh and muttered, "Yeah. You're right. But are you okay with this, Miss Flone?"

Silence.

I was tempted to use my abilities to find out what Flone was saying. But I didn't.

Instead, I waited for my fate.

Hannah nodded and then handed my phone back to me. "Miss Flone wants to say something to you."

"Alright." I took my phone back and held it up to my ear. "Yeah, Flone?"

"Jihu. Do you love Miss Hannah?"

I flinched. "That's... Flone, I-"

A deep sigh echoed on the other line. And after that, Flone said, "Jihu. I told you, didn't I? It's fine if I'm not number one in your heart... or even the only one."

"...But that's not fair."

Flone had lost everything. And now she had a chance to experience it all again. Even so, she chose to stand by me through everything else.

That devotion... to just run ram shod over it-

"But it is, Jihu."

As if she read my thoughts, she spoke in a calm voice.

"I told you before, didn't I? I understand you best. And I know how my Jihu is." She laughed and said, "He's a selfish selfless guy who wants the best for all the girls in his life. And he's also a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and gives pieces of it out to all the girls he meets. I don't want you to lose them... and I'm sure that the girls you've met don't want you to either."

I glanced at Hannah and let out a dry laugh. "I've been found out, huh?"

Hannah rolled her eyes. "It's obvious, dumbass."

Flone's giggle echoed on the phone. "Mmhm! I think all of us can tell how you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings... but you know, it'll hurt us more to see you hurt. So it's okay for you to accept some other girls too."

"...Are you sure?"

It was fine. If she insisted, I could do it. If Flone really wanted me to cut other people off, I would. But...

I knew how I was. And I knew I was greedy. Then, if it was okay to be with all of them...

"Obviously. Besides, you're way too much for me to handle by myself, you know?"

"...You're really too good to me, Flone."

Flone laughed and said, "Well, I'm a Saintess, aren't I?"

I sighed and said, "You really are."

"Now, Jinhee's getting suspicious, so I'm heading back. Talk to you soon, Hubbie!"

The call ended. When it did, I took my phone and placed it back in my pocket before looking back at Hannah.

Silence.

And then she said, "Well?"

I glanced at the papers... No, the marriage license and said, "You do realize that you aren't going to be the only one, right, Hannah?"

Since Flone laid it out like that... and since Cinzia had forced Claire out to throw her fate in with mine, I wasn't going to stop now. And besides, it seemed like the time to play dumb and dense was over.

...Also because I had a feeling things were arranging around me to make me actually dumb and dense if I kept playing that up.

But even so, I had to make things clear. I didn't want to set any false expectations.

Hannah rolled her eyes and said, "You think I don't know that, dumbass? I'm probably the first one who realized just how much of a shameless flirt you are in the first place."

I stared straight at her and said, "I don't know if I love you."

And I didn't. I wanted to see Hannah happy. I wanted to make sure she was safe. But could you call that love? Enough to commit to a marriage?

"But you care about me, don't you? Enough to do crazy stuff like make me this ridiculous ring. Enough to give me a place to land even if Sinyoung pulled the rug out from under me." Hannah stepped forward and matched my gaze. "...Enough to be honest about how you feel instead of leading me on." She paused and then laughed. "Though I suppose it took a bit of pushing to get you there."

"You'll be much happier with someone else, Hannah."

"Maybe." Hannah nodded. "But happiness is overrated. Besides, I'm worried that my beloved partner's going to run off and do something stupid and ridiculous if there's nothing tying him down. And if that Saintess wasn't enough... Well, I'll just have to do it myself." She paused and then said, "Or were you not serious about me? If you're just playing around, that's fine. Since I know, I can adjust. But if you're serious about me... about us." She pushed the paper in front of me. "I need your answer."

I stared at the marriage license and then looked back at Hannah.

She didn't say anything, only waiting.

...In fact, it was just like before when we were signing our first contract.

I chuckled.

"W-What?" Hannah blushed and said, "Are you making fun of me, you bastard?"

"No." I shook my head and conjured a pen.

When she saw that, Hannah froze. As if she didn't really believe I'd do it.

I smiled and then signed the license. "I just thought about how karma has a funny way of coming back around. Though..." I set my pen down and said, "You're a foxy one, aren't you? Promising me freedom with my contract and then chaining me down with marriage."

Hannah blinked and stared at the marriage license. Then she looked at me and said, "...You're a goddamned crazy son of a bitch. You know that?"

"Well." I kicked up my feet on the table and said, "Now I'm your goddamned crazy son of a bitch. Isn't that right, Wifey?"

Hannah froze and then immediately glanced back at the marriage license.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "Regretting your life decisions?"

"A-As if! Just..." Hannah slowly stepped back and sat down on the chair across from me. "Holy shit." She looked up at me and said, "You're serious?"

I frowned. "You're not?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean... Fuck. I was just bluffing. Didn't think I'd get called out twice today..."

"Wait, what?"

Hannah coughed and said, "N-Nothing."

I narrowed my eyes. "Hold on..."

"A-Anyway." Hannah quickly snatched the marriage license from the table and stood up. "I'll go file this now. No backing out... And I guess that means that we'll be getting a bit more tax breaks in our business. That should help me keep my mind off things..."

"Stop."

Hannah froze.

I stood up and walked towards her.

She clutched the marriage license to her chest and instinctively took a step back. But then she realized what she was doing and froze, stepping forward instead. Fixing her face in a glare, she said, "What? You gonna force me to break it off already because you found out I was bluffing?"

"No." I smiled and then reached out, hooking her chin with my fingers. "I just thought I'd give my wife a kiss before she heads out for the day."

"W-W-What?!" Hannah froze, turning a deep red.

I leaned forward, bending close towards her and moving my face towards hers. But before our lips could touch-

"@#$@!" Hannah let out a strangled gasp and ran off. "Fuck you!"

"I mean, you just tried earlier, didn't you?"

"Argh! I take it back! I regret everything already!"

I watched Hannah run away and laughed. "A bit too late for that, Wifey."

Hannah shuddered and then slammed the door. A few minutes later, I heard the roar of an engine, and then Hannah's presence faded, moving away into the distance.

"...Well that happened. But..."

I stared at my arm. Specifically, at the crimson thread that had connected me and Hannah. The thread that, like she said, had turned into a chain connecting me and her.

I sighed. "In for a penny, in for a pound... Seems like I didn't choose the harem life, but the harem life chose me-"

[Alias: Harem Master added.]

"...You fucking troll ass-!"

xxx

"...Motherfucker."

A man stood at the top of a mountain, staring down at the hill of swords in front of the Arden Valley fortress. He shifted his gaze to the towering blade piercing the ground and said, "That crazy bastard managed to reinforce this entire place even after he's gone, huh? We won't be able to punch through this now unless we get that skeleton and crazy lizard here too."

The wind blew, causing the man's long black hair to shift, revealing a handsome face.

"Well." The man propped his glowing white sword over his left shoulder and said, "Guess it's pretty convenient for me though. Let them think they're safe like that. For now... Let's see if this Jihu guy was really as similar to me as Queenie says he was."

The man straightened, revealing cracked armor and a worn-out cloak. Gazing off into the distance at Haramark, he grinned and held up his hand. As he did, divinity flared. A repulsive crimson light that emanated lust and desire. "...Might as well take his princess while I'm at it. After all... It's only fair since you took those two. Right, you bastard?"

The man... No, Sung Shihyun kicked off the ground and flew towards Haramark. As he did, he muttered, "Teresa Hussey was pretty sweet the last time I had it." Licking his lips, he smirked and said, "I wonder if the princess tastes just as good as her dessert?"