"I want you to take my hand in marriage."

As soon as they heard those words, the women standing right behind Dorian all glared, finally understanding this was what Ishtar was after all along.

Maria chose not to speak; as a knight, she knew better than to talk unless her master had given her permission to. That said, it was quite evident from the white-knuckled grip on her sword's hilt that she so badly wanted to say something.

Dorian, on the other hand…

'This might not be a bad idea.'

He thought to himself, one hand under his jaw.

'Mother did say having multiple partners in this world was a sign of power. What better way than to have three wives who are all Lord Ranks? Not to mention, if I get married to her, chances are I could also be looking to get the entire viscounty if this poor man was unfortunate enough to die.'

It sounded brilliant; no other plan screamed "Dorian" more than this.

'The fact I think it's a good idea doesn't mean they'll think the same way. I can already feel their hateful glares burning into my back.'

If he were to say yes without asking Maria and Seraphina, he knew for a fact they would be offended and most definitely angered by it.

Time and time again, both Maria and Seraphina had mentioned how they don't like Ishtar and how they get a "funny feeling" from her.

So, if he were to ignore these complaints, he wouldn't be setting a good example, most especially since they were going to be his future wives anyway.

Dorian sighed. 'Women are such a handful sometimes. Makes me think back to when I was with Yahoshi; every day was a constant war.'

"My lord, you don't have to worry about us. Whatever decision you make, we are in no place to speak against it," Seraphina suddenly spoke from the back.

Dorian didn't look back, but a smile graced his lips after hearing that.

Only a few seconds later, Maria spoke.

"Even if you were to marry a thousand wives, as long as I remain the first wife and Seraphina the second, we are more than happy with it."

'A thousand wives is a bit of an overkill. Then again, the fact Seraphina has not started an argument over her comment must mean they have spoken about it before.'

"A third wife isn't bad. I know many women will fight to claim you soon enough, powerful women at that. I would much rather claim this spot than no spot at all," Ishtar muttered out loud, a mischievous smile on her face.

Dorian could not really understand why they suddenly thought every woman in the world wanted him.

If anything, he had always thought of himself as average. Then again, it's not like he understood women any more than he already did.

"Fine, I accept. A marriage doesn't sound too bad. It just so happens I am about to get married to these two beautiful women behind me, so I guess it can work out. Probably."

Though they agreed to it, the expression on Maria and Seraphina's faces was anything but friendly, a wide contrast to Lili, who was just happy to be there.

Even if Maria and Seraphina were not fond of Ishtar, Dorian's decision was final.

He wasn't blind to their scowls, but their earlier comments had given him an unexpected green light.

Plus, his mother's wisdom about power and multiple partners echoed in his mind.

Ishtar, on the other hand, was beaming. Her plan had worked. She cast a triumphant glance at Maria and Seraphina, who only narrowed their eyes further.

Lili, blissfully unaware of the underlying tensions, continued to clap her hands, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to the simmering hostility.

"Excellent!" Ishtar exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Then it's settled. We shall begin planning the triple wedding at once!"

Dorian cleared his throat. "Not so fast, Ishtar. There are a few... arrangements to be made first. And a few things to discuss with Maria and Seraphina." He shot a meaningful look at the two women behind him, a silent plea for them to hold their peace for now.

Maria's hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword, a barely perceptible movement that spoke volumes.

Seraphina merely sighed, her gaze fixed on Ishtar with an expression that promised future retribution.

Ishtar, however, was too caught up in her victory to notice. "Of course, my lord! Whatever you wish. I'm just so terribly excited!"

Dorian could only offer a strained smile. This was going to be a long engagement.

"Speaking of arrangements," Dorian interjected, turning his attention to Embre, who had been observing the entire exchange with a look of suffering.

"Lord Embre, if you would be so kind as to sign that contract we discussed earlier. It's a rather important one, wouldn't you agree?"

Embre's fake grin widened. "Indeed, my lord. More important than even a triple wedding, perhaps. Ahah. Ha. Ha." He leaned forward, a painful twinkle in his eyes, and retrieved a roll of parchment from his satchel.

Unfurling it, he scanned the elegant script with a practiced eye, then pulled a quill and inkpot from within his cloak.

Maria and Seraphina, distracted from their simmering animosity, watched Embre with curiosity. Even Ishtar paused her joyful bouncing to see what was happening.

With a flourish, Embre dipped the quill and scrawled his signature across the bottom of the parchment.

"D-done," he announced, an even bigger fake smirk playing on his lips. "All bound and sealed, my lord." He then rolled the document back up and presented it to Dorian.

Dorian took the contract, a subtle sense of relief washing over him.

"You did good. It was nice doing business with you."

"L-likewise."

They both shook hands.

..

[A/N]

For now, i intend to keep the harem as it is currently, with only three wives. that said, considering I'll be introducing my favorite female character soon, this can change just as quickly.

In any case, look forward to her.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.