[Nightmare]

Chapter 26 [*Mandatory Cliches]

"I just realized that you're wearing a dress.

Are you okay sharing more with me?" He asked.

"I… yes. If that's okay."

Helix's eyes lit up strangely in shamelessly excited enthusiasm.

"This is as shameless as it sounds… but, I'd prefer seeing more of your body." He chuckled with shame in his eyes.

Emelia's smile brightened.

"No way…." Charlotte commented.

"What?" Marie asked with a conflicted expression.

"He hasn't even seen her body!

Or at least he's never truly looked!" Charlotte whispered excitedly.

"What are you talking about?" Marie asked with confused eyes.

"They sleep in the same bed at night.

Helix lacks self-confidence, but he's not afraid to seize opportunities.

So the fact he hasn't even seen her body… is strange." Charlotte commented with wide eyes.

"What do you mean he's not afraid to seize opportunities?" Marie asked.

"You saw how pleasantly surprised he was to know you were interested in him, right?" Charlotte asked.

"Y-Yes…." Marie replied in a bashful voice.

"He was surprised because he couldn't believe someone like you would be interested in him.

But identified that you were interested and accepted it immediately.

Even if he's a virgin, he's not a dense prude." Charlotte chuckled.

"Moreover, the excitement he was hiding in his eyes when I convinced you to take off your shirt was contagious.

He didn't know how to react, but he seized the opportunity to see your body."

Marie's face flushed bright red for the twentieth time in two hours.

"Helix isn't a person that would start a harem, but he accepted one for the night because it made people happy, including himself happy." Charlotte continued.

"In short, Helix knew from day one that Emelia was trying to seduce him but turned her way.

Yet she slept in his bed, duty-bound to satisfy his requests, and he hasn't even seen her body fully?

This whole time she was interested in him too!" Charlotte pointed out.

"B-But watch! Helix waited until she felt like a human with free will before being willing to view her body!

Helix isn't a simp. I've seen him be savage to women, and his words are often devastating to their fragile egos.

But there's hope for annoying, pathetic simps everywhere if he is.

He'd be proof they can become aggressively sexually attractive cheats after hitting Level 99!" She exclaimed under her breath.

"W-Will you please help me untie my dress?" Emelia asked shyly.

"With pleasure. Turn around." Helix requested while moving to the edge of the bed.

Emelia complied and turned around.

"I love this dress. It always reminds me of our date on Burlow Street." He chuckled.

"D-Date!?" She cried.

Helix hugged her waist to keep her from falling.

"Not officially. But it felt like one to me." He confessed.

Emelia shook with turmoil.

"Did you enjoy that trip?" Helix asked with a gentle smile.

"It… was the happiest day of my life." She replied after some hesitation.

"I enjoyed that day too.

Seeing you shyly pick out clothing and prance around made my heart flutter." He said with a smile.

"I… don't know what to say…." She replied.

Helix slowly moved his hands from her lower back up to her neck.

The experience sent a wave-like sensation through her body and made her shiver in pleasure.

"There's no need to say anything." He chuckled.

"You don't have to be nervous about words like relationship, couple, or love with me.

So don't worry that you're exceeding your boundaries."

He slowly undid every knot in her dress with his left hand as he said those words.

With his right, he traced down her back to increase the sensation.

"But know this, Emelia." He whispered loud enough for her to hear it.

"I love your personality, find you to be attractive beyond reason, and enjoy spending time with you."

Every time Emelia tried to interject, Helix increased the sensations on her body.

During his confession, he was sliding her pink dress off her shoulders.

"It's important that you're happy because you're special to me.

Maybe not romantically in a conventional sense, but special nonetheless." He whispered.

Helix slowly moved the dress down her body to her hips.

"So please enjoy yourself." He requested as he dropped the dress to the floor.

Emelia was wearing daring black lingerie she appreciated but never requested.

At the moment, he felt it was the best investment he's ever made.

Helix wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

"Thank you for today." He whispered.

"I…." She whispered in a trance.

"Wheeeeew. One day I hope a man treats me like you do, Emelia." Charlotte said, following a whistle.

"Are you… in love with Helix too, Charlotte?" Marie asked hesitantly.

"Me? Hah. No way. But I'm aggressively in love with him right now!" Charlotte announced boldly.

"Relationships aren't my thing, but tonight?

Let me warn you, Marie. I'm your [temporary rival]." She declared with resolve.

Marie narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Are you willing to fight for him?"

I hope you're ready to have your bones broken into a million pieces." She warned.

"Gahhhhh. Marie! Did you earn a scholarship to Myriad by playing dating sims?" Charlotte griped.

Marie gave her a stunned expression.

"Don't answer that. Look… there are three ways you must behave if you want to be in a harem.

First, you must be an overpowered badass with a three-dimensional personality to everyone around you.

Congratulations, you pass." Charlotte explained.

"Second, you have to be a helpless, one-dimensional blush machine in the leader's presence.

Check, you pass."

Marie blushed with wry shame burning in her eyes.

"Lastly, you can't fight the other women!

So your only option is to use petty, non-aggressive tactics to compete for his attention.

Otherwise, he'll chastise you and only accept you as a one-dimensional yandere forever." Charlotte warned.

"No! I don't want to be known as a one-dimensional yandere!" Marie cried.

"Hah. Then don't turn this building into dust for Helix's attention!

You're the type to fight for all of your friends—that's what he likes about you.

So calm your jets, take a deep breath, and challenge me to a blush fight!" Charlotte demanded.

"Charlotte, I appreciate your guidance…. But What in the hell is a blush fight?" Marie asked in annoyance.

"It's when there's an event, and everyone acts desperately shy to join.

The shyest and cutest wins." Charlotte explained with an evil grin.

"Haaaaaaah. Then you're going to lose.

So I accept your challenge." Marie laughed.

"We~ill see. There's a special type of role for someone like me." Charlotte replied with an evil grin.

"W-Wait, what? You're going to cheat?" Marie asked with horror.

"No, no. I'm just the only one that can fulfill the role." Charlotte replied with a mocking grin.

"That's rather bold of you to say, Charlotte.

I can't think of a role you can do that I can't!" Marie huffed.

"Oh~yeah?" Charlotte asked sarcastically.

Marie narrowed her eyes.

"What's the role? Hmmm?" She asked.

"Event Initiator." Charlotte replied with a mocking grin and dangerous eyes.

"I…. I…." Marie stuttered while averting her eyes.

"You now know Hellie is interested in you because of me.

Now sit back, give me a little appreciation, and enjoy the results." Charlotte laughed.

"W-What are you going to do?" Marie asked hesitantly.

"You'll~see. Yoooooo~hoo! Mr. Harem~Leader!" Charlotte called out.

Helix pulled his gaze away from Emelia, who had turned around to meet his eyes.

"Hmmm? What is it, Charlotte?" He asked while turning around.

Charlotte gave him a wicked grin.

"I~hope you have forgotten the duty you have to your people!" Charlotte coaxed with a mischievous smile.

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Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content.