CHAPTER 27: SO, YOU HAVE TO PICK MY SIDE AT ALL TIMES

"Will you let me be your second spouse?"

Honestly, after he accepted the fact that a snakeman was my first spouse, I think he gained the qualifications to become a part of my har- ahem, I mean part of the ’family’.

I was worried, honestly.

I planned to take on a lot of handsome beastmen and create a harem, but I was worried that it wouldn’t work out since my first spouse happened to be a snakeman, a loathed beastman.

But with what Fenric just said and did, I think I don’t have to worry anymore. He just proved that if a beastman desired me enough, they could look past the identity of my other spouses.

What’s important is me and not the other spouses.

I looked at Damar.

"Damar, I think I’ve made a decision," I said and though he did not look too pleased, already guessing what I had chosen, he shook his head and said,

"It’s all up to you, Arinya. I’ll stand by your decision... As long as I remain first."

He was so competitive, but I guess this is him compromising plenty.

I nodded and turned to Fenric.

"Alright, then you’re going to be my second spouse," I said. "For now," I smiled. "You’re on probation."

"Pro what?" He asked and I pursed my lips.

Yeah, one more of the big words that they don’t use in this era.

"It means, you’re not my spouse yet. The same goes for Damar. You’re going to have to convince me that I won’t regret taking you as my spouse in this time period."

"What exactly are we doing?" Damar asked, since I never exactly told him about the probation stuff before.

I came up with it on the spot.

"Well, nothing," I said. "You’re just going to keep doing whatever you’re doing and I’m going to observe you. Though, I doubt anything you do will make me rethink my decision. But there is something that will disqualify you immediately."

"And what is that?" Fenric asked, but I bit my bottom lip, as if the words were hard to form.

Damar looked at me, his gaze soft and his hands gripping me steadily.

"Is it something you can’t say?" Damar suddenly asked, his tone smooth and even.

"No, I can say it." I just find it uncomfortable.

"Then please tell us. I doubt I’ll do anything to hurt you though." Fenric suddenly declared. "You’re going to be my most special beastman from now on."

"Well," I rolled my eyes a bit and then said, without meeting either of their gaze. "...the moment you decide to doubt me, and believe someone else’s words over mine, even with evidence. I will completely forget you ever existed. So, you have to pick my side at all time."

My words came out heavy, and I thought the atmosphere would become heavy after saying something like that. After all, they have to believe that I’m in the wrong when there is evidence but I want them to be on my side.

Even if I’m wrong, even if I did commit a crime, if I say I didn’t do it, I want them to believe me unconditionally and stand up for me against others who are pointing their fingers at me.

"If that’s it, then I don’t think there’s an issue," Fenric said, his face looking excited, and I raised my head in disbelief, wondering if they didn’t know the gravity of what I had just said.

"I was going to say that," Damar said, glaring at Fenric again. "Stop stealing my lines." He hissed.

"Oh, it’s not my fault you’re slow with words," Fenric said, actively provoking Damar.

"Slow? I am not slow." He said. "You don’t know how to match the timing of a response."

"Are you trying to teach me right now?"

"It seems I have to teach you, so you do not cause Arinya unnecessary worry in the future," Damar added, and they both rubbed foreheads together, seeing who would fall first, and I was in the middle, still trying to comprehend what was going on.

Sure, it was clear they were fighting. No surprise there, but... It’s the fact that they didn’t even hesitate to agree to my words that baffled me.

Damar is smart, naturally, and Fenric too. But neither of them had a problem going along with my condition, as if they never planned to abandon me from the start.

Was this what being someone’s precious female meant?

I’ve often read stories about villainesses who have loyal supporters who support them, even when they know the decision the villainess is making is wrong.

It doesn’t just stem from a strong sense of loyalty, but because of the feelings they have towards them, knowing they were the only ones the villainesses could rely on when things got rough... Even when the said villainess does not love them back.

I can’t get ahead of myself and suddenly claim that they love me, since we only just met, but the way they adore me, and their immediate sense of loyalty towards me because they see me as their life partner, makes me so glad my heart could almost burst.

’I want to be adored.’

A selfish yet simple wish that carries the will of not just the original Arinya, but me, Stephanie, who comes from another world.

Without realizing it, tears rolled down my cheeks.

I didn’t even know when I had begun to cry, but both beastmen immediately saw it, flinched, and got worried.

"Arinya, what happened?"

"Why are you in tears?"

"Is that snake hurting you?" Fenric asked, because Damar’s hand was still on my shoulder.

"Shut up, you dirty cub. I could never hurt her."

They began to argue again, but still looked at me worriedly.

"I’m not hurting," I said, smiling out of relief. "I’m just happy. It should be normal for one to cry when they’re so touched, right?"

"Is it, though? I’ve never met a female who could cry even when offended by an entire bush pig." He said and I froze.

That’s a very odd comparison. But I guess he wouldn’t understand because females of this time feel so entitled that they take everything for granted.

There is no way they would understand the genuine happiness I feel, knowing I managed to bag two handsome and caring beastmen.

It seems my life is going to have a lot of color from now on. I looked at Damar and then Fenric.

Yeah, colorful but with a lot of white.

"Let’s get out of the water now."