Investing in the Three Villainesses Gives Me Infinite Returns

The rest of the day passed quietly.

After leaving the garden, Elias returned to the manor and continued with his usual responsibilities.

He checked on Monica, Natasha, and Stella before dinner.

Stella, however, had apparently decided that the arrangement between Elias and Natasha was unacceptable.

At dinner, she repeatedly complained that Natasha was sleeping in Elias’s room and insisted that she should be allowed to sleep there as well.

Elias eventually managed to appease her and persuade her to sleep in her own room, although it took considerably more patience than he had expected.

Strangely, whenever Stella spoke about Natasha, there was no hostility in her voice. She talked about her almost like a friend, complaining about her sleeping in Elias’s room while simultaneously asking whether Natasha would play with her the next morning.

Elias found the relationship between the two women rather amusing.

Once dinner was finished and the manor gradually became quiet, Elias returned to his bedroom.

Natasha was already waiting for him.

He had already placed a line of pillows across the middle.

He had suggested the arrangement because he believed Natasha would feel more comfortable if there was a clear separation between them.

Natasha had simply nodded.

Now, the two of them lay on opposite sides of the bed, with the pillows forming a border between them.

Natasha held her notebook and quill in her hands while Elias lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

[Are you comfortable?]

Natasha looked toward him before writing something in her notebook.

Are you not mad at your family?

Elias frowned slightly and asked, [Why would I be mad?]

Natasha lowered her gaze.

They forced you to marry us. It’s no different than throwing you away.

Elias fell silent.

His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling as he thought about her words.

After a few seconds, he finally sent another thought.

[I don’t know... I always knew that something like this would happen, but not this way. It was unexpected, to say the least.]

Natasha watched him quietly before writing again.

You must have been devastated, no?

Elias nodded slightly.

[I was. I wanted to run away and leave everything behind, but I couldn’t.]

He stared at the ceiling for several seconds before continuing.

[I just felt like staying...]

She looked at him for a moment, then lowered her eyes to the notebook.

Maybe all this time, what you wanted wasn’t their approval. But people whom you could call truly yours.

Elias blinked.

The words struck something deep inside him.

He remained silent for several seconds, staring at the ceiling as memories from his childhood passed through his mind.

The Crimson Ducal Clan had always been his home, but he had never truly felt that he belonged there.

He had shared the same blood as his siblings, lived beneath the same roof, and carried the same family name, yet none of that had ever made him feel like one of them.

He had spent years desperately trying to prove himself.

Perhaps that was why their rejection had hurt so much.

Maybe he had never really wanted power.

Maybe he had simply wanted someone to acknowledge him.

Someone who would look at him and say that he belonged.

Elias let out a quiet breath and smiled bitterly.

[Maybe you are right...]

Natasha stared at him.

Her expression became serious.

If you ever feel like things are too hard, come to me.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the notebook.

That is the least I can do in return for the promise you made.

Elias blinked in surprise.

He slowly turned his head toward her.

Natasha was already looking at him.

Her golden eyes met his, and the burn marks tracing across her face were clearly visible beneath the faint moonlight.

Elias stared at her for several seconds.

She had lost almost everything.

Her family, her future, her position within the Sun Church, her ability to speak, and even the ordinary sounds of the world around her had been taken away.

Yet despite everything she had suffered, she was still willing to offer him comfort.

She had only known him for a short time, yet she was already telling him that he didn’t have to carry his burdens alone.

Elias couldn’t help smiling.

[Thank you.]

A faint smile appeared on Natasha’s face, and she nodded slightly.

Neither of them said anything else.

Natasha placed the notebook on the bedside table before turning around, her back facing Elias.

He did the same.

The pillows remained between them, creating a simple barrier that neither of them had any intention of crossing.

The room gradually fell silent.

Before long, both of them drifted into sleep.

---

The next morning, pale sunlight slipped through the curtains.

Elias slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

He remained still for a few seconds, allowing himself to wake fully, before the familiar orange glow suddenly appeared before his face.

[Ding!]

[Evaluating the host’s actions.]

Elias’s eyes narrowed slightly.

[Goodwill and care demonstrated toward the targets have been calculated.]

[Stopping Stella Crimson from losing control.]

[Providing care and assistance to Monica Ragnar.]

[Providing Stella Crimson with her desired sugar fruits.]

[Fighting the members of the Outer Night Watch.]

[Strengthening the trust between the host and the targets.]

Elias stared at the list.

He hadn’t even realized how much he had done since receiving his previous returns.

Most of it hadn’t felt like an investment. He had simply done what he thought was necessary.

Yet the system apparently viewed all of it differently.

[The host’s current Affection Rate has reached 1.]

The next message appeared immediately.

[100X Returns have been applied.]

His expression brightened.

That was already far beyond the rewards he had received before.

[Ding!]

[Rewards have been issued.]

[Reward 1: Skill acquired — Tyrannical Giant’s Immovable Stance (S).]

[Reward 2: Skill acquired — Masterful Hands (S).]

[Reward 3: Items acquired — 100 Extraordinary Sugar Fruits.]

[Reward 4: 100 Stat Points acquired.]

Elias stared at the screen.

For several seconds, he couldn’t process the text floating before him.

’Two S-grade skills?! 100 Stat Points?!’ His jaw fell open, nearly touching the bed, and he mumbled, ”Holy shit...”

He also noticed that the things that he had already been rewarded for, such as feeding Monica, weren’t counted even though he had fed her again.