The Noble Lady of Lust

Chapter 283: My Punishment

”Let’s see, if I understood, so Cordelia fell in love? No, more like Seraphina left a strong impression, and through the years and that single interaction, she has accumulated feelings to the point of becoming.... Well, into that thing I showed you.”

”haaah~....Well, mostly yes, but I think she got to see her a few times over the years, when her were visiting the capital or something. She’d tell me she’d see it from afar and.... Well, it was about thirteen that I think she got a little out of control, that she started painting you and...”

”Oh, come to think of it I’ve come to the capital a few times myself, I didn’t notice her at all...she’s certainly good at it...”

”Yes, not only painting my daughter is good at many things. My daughter has all the talent I was missing. She is my greatest pride.

”haah~ I think I more or less understand how it happened and the current situation, long story short, she fell in love with my appearance.”

Yeah, it didn’t seem like Cordelia was in love with the original Seraphia, but rather her appearance or what Seraphina was, so as I thought the pangolin plan was out of the question.

”Honey, may I remind you that you yourself confessed to me that originally, you came for my looks.”

”Hey! I’m not judging her, interest is born in different ways, I’m just surprised her got to that point just by seeing me from afar.”

”Like I told you, it was at 13 well, I think she took a different rhythm there, but I support her. Love comes in different forms and intensities.... If that’s what she wants, I’m all for her..... But honey, seriously, what do we do now? I didn’t think that really, my daughter and I would end up this way.”

”... Hmm, but it’s still not too late, Astrid, since the situation has ended like this. Let’s do it this way, I gently and methodically reject her, she gives up on me, and you keep your integrity as a mother, and the one you date me (Serafina).”

It certainly seems like we are in big trouble hard to solve, so I thought that would be a viable option,...

’Wait, what did she mean by that last one?...’

For some reason I didn’t like the way it sounded, but maybe I’m overthinking it.....

”Honey, I can’t do that, I can’t lie a lifetime to my daughter. And if by any chance she ever found out, I wouldn’t.... I wouldn’t know how to look her in the eye, if we did that.”

” I know too that leaving things that cause misunderstandings and future problems is not good, but what else is there, there’s nothing else left?”

”... Honey, what if...”

”Wait there, Astrid, what you are going to propose, stop, let’s not go that far, we have to think deeper.”

Yes I guess I felt I shouldn’t let her finish.

”... But honey, as much as I think about it... I think that would be the one thing that would make everyone happy, and I’m willing to try.”

”...”

I don’t like where this was headed and come to think of it, the girls have been quiet. I was so focused on my conversation with Astrid that I tuned them out.

So, when I looked in their direction, they, who were sitting on the couch, were looking at me and Astrid.

As they ate the sandwiches, even Eira, who I thought would have an opinion by now, was quiet and eating. They looked at us like the two of us were drama or something.

’Girls, I’d appreciate it if you could give us your opinion and help in this sticky situation I’m in.’

But as usual, when our eyes made contact, Elena seemed to read my thoughts and spoke.

”Sir Christian, why are you hesitating? It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve...”

”Ehem, Elena!”

Forget what I said, it was better to keep them quiet. I tried to interrupt what she was going to say, but it was too late.

”Wait, honey, what was it you wanted to say, Elena-chan?”

”Elena-chan? This... Miss Astrid, as I said, it’s not the first time Sir Christian has been involved in mother-daughter matters.”

”Elena, you can put that matter aside, we are seriously thinking about another matter that has nothing to do with that.”

”Huh? But Chris, if you do the same thing again, like big sister Astrid said, we could all be happy, couldn’t we?”

”Ehem! Alice, your opinion is appreciated, but like I said, it’s not the situation.”

”Hmp, you really are insatiable. You didn’t settle for my mother and us, and now you’re going for another, aren’t you?”

”Eira, you looked prettier when you were quiet.”

”We’ll have another mommy, won’t we? And another older sister?”

”Selene, please, not you too.”

”I don’t know why you want to hide it, Miss Astrid will eventually find out everything.”

”...”

”Honey, what the girls are saying is what I think it is.”

”Well, if you think they’re talking about how setting the link and movement runes first, followed by distortion, makes space magic faster to conjure, then... yes, that’s what it is...”

”Honey!!!”

”Haa~ well, yeah, that’s right, remember I told you about Lily?”

”Yes, the white tiger beast woman, the one you also started a relationship with and that you said was married with children...”

I had already told Astrid about Lily. In fact, I told her not long after I started dating her, but Astrid scolded me saying that her special circumstances were one thing and a woman with a happy family was quite another.

She asked me to break up with Lily because she didn’t want to see me ruining a family, and she was right.

I talked to Lily about it and she told me that her marriage was more of a contract and that I shouldn’t worry. She always liked to talk mysteriously, so she didn’t give me many details.

But if I think about it, the twins’ reaction to this ”infidelity” was lukewarm, and they didn’t even mention their father. That just meant that what Lily said was true.

’Hmm, I’ll ask them for the details later...’

”Yeah, well... See those pink twins over there? The one that’s frowning at me because I’m not getting to the point and the other one that looks like she’s falling asleep. Well... what can I say, it’s a small world...”.

”Honey, does that mean Selene-chan and Eira-chan... are Leula daughters?”

”Hey, don’t call me Eira-chan! No... wait, if that’s you, then it’s okay.”

”Wait, Eira, that’s unfair! Let this big sister call you Eira-chan too.”

”No.”

”Ehem... As I was saying, well, that’s about it. Let’s get on with figuring out what to do about Cordelia. Any ideas?”

”Honey, if you’ve done it once before...”

”No, Astrid. Lily is not an example to follow. In fact, you, leaving aside your very bad opinions in the novel-like my Bella staying with twelve guys-and when we role-play, are the most common-sense, normal person I know.”

”...”

” I worry about your feelings and the implication of sharing a partner with your daughter. That’s not something anyone can live with easily, it’s not easy.”

”Hey, I’d complain that you’re badmouthing my mother, but you’re absolutely right. No mother in her right mind would do something like that...my mother is the weird one.”

”See, Astrid? That’s not the way to go. Let’s move on to another kind of solution.”

”...Honey, I didn’t think you thought so much of me...I really appreciate it...but I know you. 눈_눈 Now tell me, do you have a problem with my daughter or something?”

’no matter how you look at it I have a lot of problems with that.’

”That’s true, that fool wouldn’t care about something like that...and he wouldn’t waste an opportunity like this.”

”hum, more big sisters.”

”After all, Miss Cordelia is one of his interests and she’s on the list.”

”If she loves my big sister so much, it’s also good that she’s joining our family as our big sister. When she knows you’re Chris, she’ll like you too.”

”...”

Damn, they know me too well and have me cornered. I didn’t want things to end up like this.

Usually, I wouldn’t bother. As Elena says, Cordelia is one of my choices for the harem, but... but... she’s a yandere.

The signs were clear. Her room only confirmed it. The clues were everywhere.

Most obvious were the memories of my alternate selves. If Cordelia was an uncontrolled, unrequited yandere, it was clear that a tragedy would eventually occur.

I still don’t know what it was, but I know now that she is capable of doing something serious enough to get her added to the elimination list.

I know it’s usually better to reciprocate to a yandere than to turn her down for obvious reasons, but honestly, I’m a little reluctant to do so. I think I’m going to have nightmares about that room.

Besides, it all depends on what kind of yandere she is. If she’s like Silvia, then she and the harem are incompatible, so I have even more reason to turn down this offer...again, of mothers and daughters.

The girls seem okay with her joining the harem, but I feel it would be dangerous, even as Astrid’s daughter.

’But if I don’t reciprocate, it would also be wrong? I don’t know what to do. ’

I don’t know what kind of idealization or perception Cordelia has of Seraphina and me, but I feel like, to her, it doesn’t matter if I’m the one before or the one now.

That’s the scary thing about yanders: nothing changes their minds that easily.

I never imagined that one would notice me.... This is my punishment for internally mocking William for attracting Silvia’s interest.