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The price of madness was horrendous. The 2nd Manager kept laughing in my face, while the 3rd Manager cheered me on with acrobatics through the communication crystal.

— Don't be too embarrassed, Executive Manager. It happens to everyone.

"Uh... thanks..."

— Hehe, don't mention it!

Then there was the 1st Manager, who told me that it was okay and that I shouldn’t worry about it.

Honestly, what scared me the most was when the 1st Manager comforted me with a gentle face. Could a person change like that? Did she pour out her madness while crying on the street or something?

Anyway, the strongest blow arrived after the mental assault from the Manager trio and the casual greetings from the normal civil servants.

"Damn."

I closed my eyes as soon as I checked the message from the Minister.

The Minister's message arrived as if he had been waiting for this moment. There was nothing remarkable about it. Shockingly, there was no ridicule or sarcastic comment.

[ Ausen Mental Health Clinic - 2nd-floor building on Trifile Street, right side. For details, contact the Director of Relief Medical Services. ]

It was just the address of a mental hospital.

Dammit...

However, that message hurt more than any provocation.

It was truly winter.

***Time flowed on even when someone went mad. While I was out of my mind and trying hard to ignore my embarrassing past, time kept moving.

In fact, it seemed to be flowing even faster with the closing ceremony approaching.

"I'm glad that Carl managed to finish the semester in one piece."

"I’m really sorry..."

I couldn’t raise my head at Marghetta's words as she poked my arm with a smile.

I could only guess how much she must have suffered. She must have been very worried that my madness would last long.

"I don’t think I’d mind a joint wedding."

I quickly shook my head at Marghetta’s humming voice. What a dreadful idea.

"That will never happen. A wedding should have only one star."

"Really? Well, I guess there's no choice if that's what Carl says."

I awkwardly smiled back at her as she chuckled—it was evident on her face that she heard the answer she wanted.

This incident must have hurt her, too. After all, she almost had to share the spotlight at her once-in-a-lifetime wedding.

Maybe that was why she occasionally teased me like this ever since she found out that I was back to normal. It was as if she was letting out her bottled-up resentment in the form of jokes.

"I'm sorry, Mar."

I gently hugged Marghetta, and she snuggled into my arms.

"I promise you that we'll have a grand wedding. That day will be all about you."

"Really?"

"Of course. And if you’d like, we can have one in the capital, another at the Duchy of Wulken, and one more in Tailglehen..."

Hearing that, she slapped my back.

"That's too much. How many anniversaries are you planning to create?"

I couldn't help but laugh when our eyes met, and she joined in shortly after.

Having three weddings was definitely unrealistic. Instead, we should have one that felt like three. After all, when else would I spend the money I'd saved up? If money was the only concern, then we could hold thirty weddings and it wouldn't be a problem.

"But we need to get engaged first."

It felt a bit odd to bring up engagement in the middle of a conversation about marriage, but it unfortunately came first. Marghetta was still a student, so getting married right away wasn’t practical.

...Actually, before getting engaged, I should probably prostrate myself in front of the Iron-blooded Duke first.

"Don't worry. Father already thinks of you as his son-in-law."

"Haha, that's a relief."

Still, her reassurance eased my mind a bit.

That was right. The Iron-blooded Duke would probably relent if I kneeled at his mansion gates for three or four days. Besides, he’d have to give his permission eventually if he didn’t want to keep Marghetta single for life.

And it’s alright. I'll just end up with a few broken bones even if things don't go well.

I decided to think that way.

***Oppa had regained his senses.

"Oppa, are you really okay?"

"It hurts my heart the more you ask..."

Louise was already hovering around him with a bright smile. Her smile never left her face, as if she was receiving a reward for all her worrying.

Of course, I felt the same way.

Thank goodness.

A smile spread across my face from the relief and happiness.

I had even prepared for the worst. I considered the possibility that Oppa's condition would last until the closing ceremony and that he wouldn’t be cured by the time the New Year's Ball came. If that happened, I was planning to stay at my family mansion in the capital no matter what.

But instead of the worst, we got the best outcome. Oppa recovered before the closing ceremony.

Thank you, Erich.

I thought of Erich, who was probably playing foot volleyball with the other club members.

Family really was everything. There was nothing as powerful as family in tough times. Oppa and Erich didn’t seem particularly close, but in the end, it was Erich who gave him the strength he needed.

That was the power of family. It was an unbeatable bond.

Someday.

I swallowed unconsciously. I couldn’t beat that bond now, but someday I’d be part of that family too—

"Ahem, ahem!"

"Irina?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, I just had something caught in my throat."

I quickly cleared my throat, embarrassed by my natural stream of consciousness. I was being too hasty. Lady Marghetta hadn’t even married him yet; it was too soon for such thoughts.

...I haven't even received an answer yet.

I felt a bit sad as my thoughts wandered to a less hopeful place.

Unfortunately, I still haven't received a response to my confession. I did say that oppa could take his time, but it was only natural to want an answer as quickly as possible.

Still, there was hope.

"He said that we’ll need a large venue since there’ll be five brides."

When Lady Marghetta told us that oppa's heart was hurt, there was something else she mentioned.

Five. She definitely said five. Lady Marghetta and the Mage Duchess made two. With Louise and me, that made four. Then, there was oppa’s subordinate who also confessed to him, making it five.

"Anyway, it seems that Carl has no intention of pushing Lady Louise and Lady Irina away."

As embarrassing as it was, I honestly felt happy. Even amidst oppa's painful situation, I found myself secretly pleased by those words.

I quickly fell into self-loathing after that, but those words lingered in my mind.

Five.

Oppa said that he would have five brides. If he wasn't speaking out of pain and really thought that, then—

I just need to wait.

I just needed to wait until oppa told me himself, until he was able to sort out his feelings and give me an answer once he was ready.

Though it seemed like I was far down the list, the thought that a good answer might come made me brave enough to wait.

"Here."

Oppa suddenly offered me a teacup while I was collecting my thoughts.

"Oh, oppa?"

"You should drink something warm when the weather is cold."

He said with a slight smile, and I nodded blankly.

He must have noticed when I said that my throat was dry earlier. I simply meant it as an excuse, but he took it seriously and—

"Thank you."

I smiled back and accepted the teacup. This is the wonderful oppa I knew, someone who was calm and composed.

This terrible feeling of unease was only making oppa suffer.

"These are the tea leaves you brought, aren’t they? I should be the one thanking you."

His words made my smile grow even wider.

***I glanced sideways. Louise was still smiling as she poured tea into my cup.

Then, I turned my gaze forward. Irina was sipping her tea.

It's difficult to delay this any longer.

Seeing the two of them so calm made my heart uneasy. The year was almost over. Given the nature of the academy, the closing ceremony was practically held on the last day of the year.

Everyone would disband after the ceremony, and we wouldn't see each other until the new term began in March.

That means that I’ll have to give them the answer in March.

That would be dreadful. It would mean that the two of them would have to wait for almost half a year for an answer after their confessions. I’d probably cry if I were in their position.

But giving them an answer before the closing ceremony?

It would be too rushed.

Even if their confession was sudden, their feelings were by no means light. My response should be given with care.

...Especially since I had already made some wild remarks about a joint wedding and such.

But if I take my time, it'll be March by then.

What a headache. It was a problem either way.

If I reject them...

I thought about it for a moment. If I were to reject them, then I wouldn’t have these worries.

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. If I was going to do that, then I should make it quick.

Taking my time to deliver a rejection would be cruel. I would have no face to show them even if they slapped me.

However, my heart didn't want to reject them.

Was the answer in the madness?

Thinking that made me feel bitter, but surprisingly, it was only after I went mad that I truly understood my heart.

Unconsciously, I thought of having five brides. Along with Marghetta and the Mage Duchess, I considered Louise, Irina, and even the 1st Manager as my brides.

Was it because I felt bad about rejecting them? No, that wasn’t it.

I was happy.

Those relationships weren’t built by the original owner of this body, but rather the connections I made after possessing it. My joy came from knowing that these connections loved and confessed to me.

I felt happy to be loved and happy at the thought of having them become my family. So, I didn't want to reject them.

But that didn’t mean that I would accept their confessions and marry them right away. I could assure them that. It was good because we built these relationships even before the confessions.

Although it had been less than a year since I met Louise and Irina, that time was already enough to have a deep connection. I usually only interacted with people professionally and rarely met anyone privately, especially the opposite sex.

An easy person.

That thought suddenly crossed my mind. No matter how much I used my own judgment to accept their confessions, from an outsider's perspective, wasn’t I just a man who accepted anyone who confessed?

Was this... right?

...It must be.

Still, my worries were short-lived. What did it matter how others saw it? I was simply following my own desires.

A man who easily took on more wives. Maybe this was a backlash from suppressing my feelings under the pretext of losing Hecate. Maybe I would have taken other wives even if I had married her.

"Come to think of it, the vacation is coming soon."

Of course, all of these were just meaningless assumptions. What was important was my choice now.

"Shall we hang out together during the winter vacation, like we did in the summer?"

I suggested as I sorted out my thoughts. Hearing my words, Louise and Irina’s eyes widened.

This was the best solution to avoid giving a rushed answer or delaying it until March. Besides, spending time together during the vacation would give me plenty of time to decide.

"Uh, I’m okay with it, but I wonder about the others..."

Louise, who had been silent for a moment, awkwardly spoke up. I didn’t care about the others, but we had to consider them since I mentioned doing it like the summer vacation.

"They'll probably like it; they did during the summer."

And judging by their behavior lately, it wouldn’t be too exhausting to take them to another region.

If they were going to stay at the academy during the vacation anyway, then it’d be easier to revisit the capital trip they’d already experienced.

***I asked the five who had just returned from playing foot volleyball about their winter vacation plans. I was thinking of suggesting another club trip like the last time if they had nothing planned.

Rutis answered on behalf of the group.

"Ah, we’re planning to return home this time."

?

Did I hear that right? Was I hallucinating?

Return home?

Were they even aware of such a concept?