The Heroines Are After My Fortune

48 – A Story Three Years Later – 2

“…………….”

“…………….”

We two, barely regaining our wits, hastily scrambling to get dressed.

An awkward silence hung between me and the Holy Maiden.

Most of yesterday’s events returned to me, clear as day.

We’d been drinking, the atmosphere had turned strange, and she, blushing, had kissed me. My self-control had snapped like a twig, and I’d gone and…

‘Isn’t this really fucked…?’

If another persona bursts out here and runs rampant, then I, the benefactor of the Papal See and all that, might get dunked in holy water for defiling the Holy Maiden. There must be at least a hundred Holy Knights on standby here, and without Caesar or Chart, it’s damn near impossible for me to escape this place by force.

‘Best bow my head first.’

“Holy Maiden, I’m sorry. I committed a terrible mistake, overcome by drink…”

“…It’s alright.”

“Huh?”

The Holy Maiden readily saying it was alright.

But something felt off.

“Even drunk as I was, I wouldn’t have allowed it with anyone else.”

“You mean… could it be…?”

“It’s embarrassing to say in this situation, but I was yearning for you. Earl Aiden…”

“………….”

Dimona, her face flushed crimson, unable to meet my eyes, bashfully averting her gaze. In stark contrast, my own heart sank like a stone.

*‘Damn it, this wretched lower body of mine.’*

A night could easily be spent between a man and woman full of youthful vigor, and these aren’t times where polygamy is a major issue.

But I had Rene, to whom I promised the future.

Because of our promise, she took the position of head of house and had been suffering through hardship after hardship these past three years. I couldn’t possibly accept another woman’s feelings whilst putting her through that kind of thing.

*‘This is absolute garbage, isn’t it…?’*

To just accept such a kind woman after some mood-setting drinking, and then say something like ‘I actually have someone else I like…’ What else would you call that but garbage? But to accept her feelings now would be sure to hurt Rene.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and hardened my heart.

If I had to choose one, the answer was clear.

“I’m sorry. There is already someone in my heart.”

“………Yes?”

“Therefore, I cannot accept your feelings, Saintess. I will make every effort to repay my wrongdoings today in any way I can. I sincerely apologize.”

Dimona seemed utterly shocked by my low, apologetic bow.

She hung her head low, then forced a smile.

“I see… I must be a little late, then.”

“Saintess, you are truly a captivating person. You will undoubtedly find someone much more wonderful than me someday–”

“Refusing and saying things like that, it just sounds crueler, you know.”

“……”

I couldn’t say anything more to the Saintess, who spoke those words with such sorrowful eyes. Soon, she rose from her seat as if nothing had happened, giving a light smile.

“It’s alright, everyone makes mistakes. I’ll bury this incident in a corner of my heart, so please, Earl Aiden, forget what I said today as well.”

“Saintess….”

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. I’ll have the people outside step back, so you can leave when you feel at ease—.”

She stopped speaking abruptly, becoming stiff.

I knew what kind of situation it was that was unfolding before my eyes. Soon, the Saintess’ eyes calmly settled, and she glared at me with a sharp gaze.

“Hey, Aiden Roen.”

“Diana…?”

The Saintess had suddenly transformed into another personality.

Having worked at the Holy See together, I’d realized that even if the other personality was a bit rough and resorted to all sorts of methods, they weren’t inherently rotten. She called herself ‘Diana.’

“You’re a real bad guy. After doing everything, you’re trying to just leave like that? Really?”

“…I apologize to Lady Dimona, but it can’t be helped.”

Then, Diana stared at me with half-lidded eyes.

It was definitely a look that appeared when something, some plot, was being hatched.

“Hmm, you’ll regret it.”

“…Are you threatening me?”

Diana had various ways to pressure me in this situation.

Considering her nature, I thought she was certainly capable of it…

“What? Why would I resort to threats? You’re not the kind of guy who’d listen just because you’re threatened in the first place.”

“That’s true, but… then why?”

“It’s literal. You’ll truly regret it later if you find out. I’ll tell you, what’ll happen to Dimona if you leave her like this.”

She opted for a different tactic.

A method of thoroughly inflicting ‘guilt.’

“First, you know nuns of the Papal Order are meant to be chaste, right?”

“…Yes, I think I’ve heard something about that.”

“A Saint is practically the most sacred symbol of all nuns. What do you think would happen if a rumor spread that the Saint gave herself to an outsider who she wasn’t married to?”

“…It would be a fatal blow to her reputation.”

“Exactly. Of course, considering her standing within the Papal Order now, they wouldn’t just kick her out heartlessly, but they’d subtly torment her behind the scenes. Those clergymen are sneaky, insidious creatures, they’re awfully good at those sorts of things.”

My throat tightened. The weight of what I’d done began to press down heavier on my shoulders.

“Maybe she wouldn’t starve even if she’s no longer a Saint, but Dimona will never marry.”

“That’s absurd. Why?”

Even so, she is Dimona, a Saint and one of the most beautiful women in the Empire. I thought there would be suitors lining up who wouldn’t care about a slight blemish on her reputation. But I hadn’t thought about her nature.

“You know it too, she’s the most devout child you could find. Engaging with another man while unchaste goes against ‘God’s Word.’ If not you, she’ll choose to live alone and lonely until she dies.”

“………!”

I could roughly grasp the magnitude of the resolve she had shown when she gave herself to me. I couldn’t just shift all blame onto her with ‘Dimona seduced me first’ either. Sure, she invited me to her room, wanting our relationship to progress, but I was the one who couldn’t hold back and took her, despite her being engaged.

“She’s a lonely child. Never allowed to play freely, from young she’s had to carry the weight of being a Saint. No matter how hard she tried, the Papal Order’s decline has burdened her further. And yet, it was you who brought her light, Aiden Roen.”

“………….”

“You said you have someone else in your heart, that’s why you can’t accept her, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What Dimona wants isn’t to be your first. Whether she’s second or third, it doesn’t matter. She just loves you, wants to be by your side. She didn’t say anything because she thought it’d be a nuisance to you and that woman…”

“Is… that so…?”

That’s where I started to truly falter.

If Dimona was willing to concede the first spot, perhaps there was room for compromise.

“Let’s be honest, it’s not like you don’t find her face or body appealing. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have been thrashing your loins all night like some beast.”

“Ahem…”

What was there to say? She was beautiful enough to make me lose my mind.

Even when dead drunk, I wouldn’t have made this mistake if it wasn’t Dimona, someone of her caliber.

“…Is Lady Diana really alright with this? With Lady Dimona becoming my second.”

“Honestly, it stings a bit, but if that’s what she wants, what can I do? A shrewd one like me has to help.”

Living with two personalities in one body, they could hate each other, but it doesn’t seem that’s the case. Listening to her story made me resolute. I couldn’t just stand by and watch the Saint live a lonely life because of my blunder.

“Alright, I will try to persuade Rene.”

“Good call, Aiden Roen.”

Diana chuckled, a small smirk.

Seeing such a cynical look on Dimona’s pure face, that in itself was quite captivating.

“Oh, and if you were thinking you could get with me too if you marry Dimona, give up on that. I like women.”

“Why would I think that…?”

“Really? Whatever.”

I denied it, aghast, but inwardly, I felt a prick of guilt.

*Tsk,* how did you know…?

###

“…So, that’s roughly how it went down.”

“Ha, you’re something else…”

David sighs.

As far as I knew, this guy understood women’s psychology better than anyone.

“You used to call me a womanizer, say you wouldn’t trust your sister with me, but you’re worse than I ever was.”

“Ahem, I was drunk then, saying things I didn’t mean…”

David, single and freely enjoying this woman and that, and me, engaged yet sleeping with another—it’s like comparing a dog with dung to a dog with bran, but if we must compare, I guess I’m the worse one here.

“I understand what you want, but neither Rene’s perspective nor the surrounding society will accept that. You understand why, without me having to say it, right?”

“…Yeah, I know well enough.”

As Rene has said many times, she’s no longer the ‘young lady’ of the Marquis family but its ‘head’.

Let’s imagine a scenario. What if a woman engaged to a successful Marquis suddenly says right before the wedding, ‘Well, I tried sleeping with another guy, and it was quite nice. Is it okay if I marry you and him?’ Wouldn’t they just call her ‘a crazy b*tch’ and break off the engagement?

Of course, I’m quite successful within the Empire myself, and our relationship with Rene is so particular that this gender-swapped extreme example might not be the right fit, but it’s clear as day that she wouldn’t accept this easily.

“David, isn’t there any way?”

“I think you should choose one person even if you’re left with a guilty conscience. It would be foolish if you were to lose Rene trying to help the Saint get caught in a spiderweb.”

“………….”

David told me a harsh, realistic truth.

He’s right. This path I’m considering might very well lead to me losing Rene as I try to grab both.

“Hmm, well, you have done your best for my love…”

The moment I was about to give up, David scratched his head, like he’d just snagged on something.

“There’s one way that might work. Not that I’d recommend it, but if you really can’t bear losing either of them, it’s worth a shot.”

“Ooh…!?”

Is it possible that all those times I set him up with Elena are finally bearing fruit…?

Teacher David, spill the answer!

“You need to become a ‘stubborn piece of trash’.”

“A stubborn piece of trash? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ahem, do you perhaps…”

“…?”

David started whispering, his words taking on a slightly embarrassing tinge.

“………………!?”

A solution I couldn’t even begin to imagine poured out, leaving me stunned.

But that’s why it was good. I’d come looking for him expecting something like this in the first place.

‘Failure isn’t an option, never…!’

I finished absorbing every single word of wisdom from mentor David, and now I was ready. Ready to untangle this complicated mess of a thread.