On the deck of the ship that had arrived at the port of the Bradford barony lay a girl watching the sailors and maids unload her belongings.
The girl wore simple clothes: a loose blouse, a velvet jacket, tight pants, and sneakers. This entire ensemble on her, combined with her pose on the railing, looked like a staged scene for a photo album.
Her hair, golden like the sun, reached her hips with an asymmetrical cut like a staircase that grew as it descended, and brilliant blue eyes.
She was a beauty without equal who could compete with any princess in the world. Especially with her measurements.
Wide hips and large breasts that protruded from her blouse and rested on the railing.
The sailors avoided by all possible means taking a glance at those twin white hills to avoid trouble.
This girl who came to the territory was the daughter of a count. Her name was Elaine Von Fraser, and anyone who saw her would say she was a beauty with a cold expression.
But that cold expression wasn't because she didn't know how to smile; it was for another reason.
"What a boring place this is."
She was bored by everything.
"In all my life, I never expected to come to the countryside, especially such a remote place. Why is this place next to islands with no resources?"
"I want to go home; at least there I wouldn't be bored."
"Please don't say that, you'd get me into a lot of trouble, onee-sama."
The beauty with the cold expression turned around; her brilliant blue eyes reflected an acquaintance from years ago.
"Ellen."
Similar to Elaine, the girl before her was a beauty without equal with long, curly blue hair and pink eyes. Her dress matched her hair and painted lips.
Eleonora Von Roseblaire, or Ellen, is the daughter of Count Roseblaire and an acquaintance of Rudel's from the academy.
Due to their history, both families are close, and therefore the heads and children of both families must be close. For Ellen, Elaine is a figure like a second mother because she spent so much time with her.
That's why she knows her better than anyone and why she was the one who decided to bring her because no one else could handle her.
"My uncle—Count Fraser—is very angry with you because you ruined your last engagement attempt."
"He was a boring man."
"You poured your drink on his head."
"He spoke obscenely about my body. It was natural for me to get angry."
"Besides, Ellen."
She got up from the railing and placed her hands under her large breasts.
"He made fun of my boobs. It bothers me that they're big, but I won't let them be disrespected."
"I'm sure it was your fault; that man had a history of being verbally inappropriate with women, but you probably played along and it all ended badly."
"...It doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm in another place again for the same thing."
She leaned back on the railing again, but this time squeezing her breasts more to make them look even larger than they already were.
"Hey, Ellen, what's this Rudel guy like? My father said he wanted to engage me to him but couldn't and is instead trying to set me up with his older brother. Why does everyone seem obsessed with that guy?"
"That's right. You were studying abroad when the war happened. Umm, it's very complicated to explain in words."
"Try to do it."
"He's a strange man. He doesn't follow the rules of noble society or common sense; he's a rarity in every sense of the word."
"A weirdo, huh?"
"That's right, but that weirdo is an exceptional man, one who can shake the foundations of everything you know. If you spent a day with him, you'd understand why everyone seeks his support."
"You look very happy when you mention him."
Elaine glanced sideways at Ellen, who was smiling from ear to ear. She covered her mouth with her fan to hide her emotion.
"We have a long history. He's the kind of man who would stir the heart of a frivolous woman like me. I'd say it's a shame you don't know him, but it's better for me that there aren't so many women."
"But his brother is possibly just like him. They have the same face and the same blood; it's no wonder his family has also managed to attract attention since the war on their own merit."
"Give him a chance, okay?"
Ellen looked very worriedly at Elaine, who looked back with disinterest.
She sighed and said:
"I'll try. But, Ellen, you should know this."
Her eyes observed the Bradford mansion visible in the distance.
"What I hate most in this life is being tied to a meaningless life."
"Nothing guarantees this engagement attempt will turn out like the previous ones, because they were all boring men."
Ellen, seeing her behavior, could only pray for everything to be a success.
"Please don't say that, because your father has already threatened to disinherit you because you should have gotten married years ago."
Elaine touches her arm, remembering her father's angry face; she knows he's serious. But her personality clashes with her father's desire.
"I know that better than anyone, but I can't deceive myself, and I would hate to be tied to a man who doesn't give me the kind of happiness I'm looking for."
◇
From the morning, everything was crazy.
There were servants running here and there, as at dawn a ship was seen arriving at the port.
My potential sister-in-law was there; everyone was calm yesterday and now they were screaming in panic. They're nervous; I would be too because my brother would have a wife.
In my previous life, I had no more relatives than the Erselica family. But now, in my new life, we can expand our family ties, so yes, it's an important moment for the family, which is why I put on my best clothes.
My family was as tense as I was, and we were getting ready in the meeting room; Alisa was checking my outfit since she wanted to meet her; the other girls said they were nervous and would meet her at dinner.
"Am I disheveled?"
"Not at all, you look very handsome. I wish you would always dress like this."
I love your smile, but wearing this, every day...
"I'm sorry, but my neck feels suffocated, and I doubt I'd want to wear this daily."
"Haha, you're right. If this goes well, my brother-in-law will have a wife, but if it fails, your family will be treated as problematic, which will be bad for your future relations."
"Thanks for scaring me more. Well, I doubt that will happen considering how the entire palace wants to keep me tied down."
"But will this work? Doing an improvised engagement interview won't turn out well."
Alisa answered me while fixing her hair:
"It was always like that, but in this case, it's a prestigious family with one that only has you as a trump card."
"The real problem here is her."
That's what Ixion said, who appeared out of nowhere.
"Elaine has been problematic since school. She was ranked as the most beautiful woman on campus for 3 years, the most elegant, the most refined, the one you'd want to marry, and also the one with the largest breasts."
I got angry with this guy who said that.
"That was unnecessary."
And Ixion immediately responded:
"It was, but for the Master, it never will be because he only has breasts on his mind. It will be very interesting what would happen if he manages to make your sister-in-law fall in love with him."
I immediately saw Alisa looking at me as if Ixion was right.
I said to that idiot: "Continue."
And he added: "She always rejected men's invitations and engagements without reason."
That left me surprised.
"Does that mean the problem is her?"
Alisa nodded at my response.
Then I made a hand gesture asking her:
"Could it be that she's actually that type and that's why she rejects men?"
Ixion, without a touch of delicacy, said:
"That can't be, because her interest in women is null according to opinions of her acquaintances, and she generally spent time alone."
Alisa, dismayed, looked at Ixion asking him:
"But I don't understand why that attitude. So what is that woman's problem?"
"Who knows, it's an enigma."
We all fell silent because we didn't know how to respond.
Then, a flustered maid opened the door.
"M-my lords! They are finally here."
The time has come, we all thought.
"O-okay. Everyone ready?"
My father called us all and we nodded; Lyle was the most agitated, but he relaxed upon seeing my father.
"I-I'm ready."
"Let's go to it."
We all left the room and positioned ourselves according to our family hierarchy to welcome them.
Alisa took my hand while Paula-chan was holding hers.
The door opened and a chubby, short butler entered saying:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Russell Stanley and I am the right-hand man of Count Fraser, who couldn't come, but I am here as his representative, so my decisions are his word. That shows the level of trust he has in me."
His introduction reminded me of the butler from Alisa's house; her father treats him as his right hand. Will I have a right hand someday?
Ixion doesn't count, just in case.
Suddenly, he stepped aside.
"Please give your greetings to Miss Elaine, the heiress of Fraser County."
Walking like a runway model was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was undoubtedly a beauty, but she had one specific trait that drew looks.
Alisa immediately pinched me while whispering to me: "Watch where you move your eyes."
And I, scared, said to her: "I know, you don't need to tell me. It was just a surprise, a big one."
"What did I tell you?"
She pinched me again.
I wasn't lying. Those breasts are just as large and firm as Alisa's; in fact, she could even be her older sister.
Involuntarily, my eyes moved again in her direction.
She came so close to me that I could feel her breath in my ear and, with soft words, told me:
"If you want to see breasts so much, you can see mine whenever you want. But behave yourself."
Then, she quickly gave me a light bite on the ear.
My father, after sending me a quick and severe look, introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am the head of the house, Walt Von Bradford. Please accompany me to the prepared room so we can introduce ourselves properly and chat."
She nodded and everyone began walking to the designated room.
But then I felt someone pulling my arm and, before I knew it, a seductive voice spoke to me.
"You took almost a year, but we finally meet again."
I didn't need to turn around to recognize that voice.
"Ellen?!"
"Fufufu, that's right. We finally meet."
Alisa took Ellen's hand, asking Paula to go ahead.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to accompany my onee-sama at her father's request, but I will also take the opportunity to fulfill the promise you made me."
"Promise? Rudel, what is this woman talking about? What promise did you make?"
Alisa was getting angry, and I already remembered the promise I made.
Sooner or later I had to face this, but the time had come to do it, even if the moment wasn't right.
"Oh, yes, hahaha. I'll explain, Alisa."
"Ixion, tell my father I'll go after sorting this out."
"Understood."
"And you two, let's go talk calmly over there."
I took both to a different room to talk.
◇
We went to a separate room; there, Alisa was sitting next to me, letting her hair down over her shoulder due to stress.
Ixion served us all a cup of tea. I was drinking mine, thinking about what to say, when suddenly Alisa asks her.
"Answer, what did you come here to do?"
Ellen, who was smiling placidly, said:
"I came to talk to him."
While sending me a flirtatious look.
I could see Alisa's anger bubbling up from her; I must resolve this before it ends in disgrace for me.
"I came because half a year ago he promised me he would take me as one of his women. He told me that when we met again, he would take me as his; by the way, the papers are ready, only the signatures from both parties are missing."
Before even saying it, she dropped a bomb.
The first time Alisa saw a bomb like that was when she found out about Lucy; now Ellen came to drop a second bomb.
Alisa's face was expressionless, but I could see an ogre mask floating with a black aura above her.
Ixion spoke for me by saying:
"It's fascinating how she can materialize a mental image. Magic is something amazing in this world."
I lunged at her to calm her down before she killed Ellen.
But she pinched her own cheek and came to her senses; she took a sip of her tea and said some words that froze me.
"I see. I suppose it was something inevitable coming from Rudel."
"Rudel, explain to me what this woman is talking about."
I looked at her and, even though her eyes were still red, I saw no light in them.
I explained everything to Alisa from the beginning. This will also be a test when the day of greatest danger comes for me when I reveal that the queen will be my woman when Liam is king.
I must stop behaving like a coward and face my problems.
But the most important thing is to make them accept it.
Once I finished speaking, Alisa rubbed my face.
I expected a strong slap, but instead came warm words.
"Rudel, I already told you, you can have as many women as you want. After what happened with Lucy and Sara, this shouldn't surprise me, but you must think about your fiancées and discuss it with us first."
"I'm sorry, I will do that."
For some reason, I seemed like a child asking his mother for forgiveness.
Alisa was calm, but suddenly a dark smile appeared as she continued speaking.
"But it's incredible, Rudel, I didn't know you were so gentle."
"Gentle?"
Ellen and I said together.
"Yes, because Eleonora is a woman who must already be 20 years old, therefore, for marriage, she is considered…"
Alisa's words echoed strongly in the place.
"A defective woman!"
Time stopped in the room; Alisa continued speaking.
"Ah, my dear Rudel, you are a good man. Proposing to a woman who can't get a man. You felt sorry for her, didn't you?"
"I feel sorry for her too; I could have ended up like her if I weren't your future wife. How happy I am to be Mrs. Bradford in a few years!"
"While she will be just a concubine without the right to your surname. I feel sorry for the children you will have with her."
"A-Alisa, I think you're going a bit too far with your provocations."
"Going too far with what? I'm only telling the truth."
"Imagine being 20 years old, not married. Being treated as a second choice and not being married. For a woman, it's shameful."
It was evident that Alisa was angry, but not with me, but with Ellen. I could see Alisa's sinister smile. She was spitting all her anger at Ellen, who was squeezing her cup with all her might, generating cracks.
She was also smiling, but her angry expression was slowly transforming her grimace.
To reduce her anger, I took Alisa's hand.
"I'm sorry I hid it from you, but believe me when I say that I love you and all the others, it's serious. I promise to make you all happy."
My honest words made Alisa blush.
"T-this isn't the place for flirting, you know?"
"I'm not flirting, I'm speaking seriously. I love you, I love the others, but I also want to love Ellen. That's why I'm asking you, as I will ask the others, to accept her."
Alisa was embarrassed and said in whispers.
"I already told you, after Sara and Lucy, it doesn't matter which woman you bring. But I hope you consult with me; I have to digest this information right now instead of processing it little by little."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I know the kind of man you are. A very good one, but a lustful, shameless womanizer."
"I guess I can't hide it."
"You can't, but I love you with all your flaws."
The sincere smile she gave seemed to calm the situation.
Without making a face like before, Alisa addressed Ellen.
"You heard, Eleonora. You can become Rudel's concubine without any problems."
"I wasn't asking for your permission. He is the head of the family, so it is to him I must answer."
"I understand, but you should know that you are not the only woman who sleeps with Rudel. There are four women who sleep with him day and night; you wouldn't want to make enemies of us, would you?"
Despite calming down, the hostility was still evident.
Ixion addressed me after recording the situation for some reason.
"The Master is amazing; he controlled a situation that would end in bloodshed because of him. I look forward to seeing the future his women crisis holds."
Their aggressive talk ended.
"Ah, I can't take it anymore."
Ellen stood up and walked towards me, hugging my arm.
"Darling, now I'm your woman, you don't know how happy this makes me. When we go to the capital, we'll have the palace sign the papers to make our engagement official."
Despite showing her anger towards Alisa, she was now sweet and charming as she hugged me.
Alisa seemed jealous and hugged my other arm too.
"You must understand this: we all want his love and hugs, so don't try to monopolize him."
"Oh dear, you are nobody to say that."
"I am the wife and I can receive as much affection as I want. A mistress chosen out of pity can never defeat the wife."
"But I know how to do things that a wife like you would do!"
"I am his first woman, so I know everything there is to know about him!"
"G-girls, we must go now. My family must be waiting for us."
Both remembered why they came.
"You're right, I can't leave my onee-sama alone for so long."
"I wonder if Lyle nii-sama succeeded."
"I hope so…"
Ellen murmured something, but we left the room to go to the other room.
◇
When we entered the room, for some reason the atmosphere inside was uncomfortable.
For some reason, my mother and my brothers were not there. My father saw us and stood up sweating.
"Oh, Rudel, you arrived at a good time, let's go prepare some snacks."
"Huh?"
He ran out, leaving only Lyle and Elaine inside.
Once in the adjoining room, he breathed as if he lacked oxygen.
"Finally, I could get out of there. It was the worst."
Everyone was equally tired.
"What happened there?"
My father explained something I couldn't believe, but it seems Ellen could.
"After entering, her polite attitude changed to a cold one. Whenever they asked her questions, she answered, but she did so vaguely, and she even said herself that her tastes are simple, but nothing more."
"The conversation reached a dead end where it became uncomfortable to be there."
Alisa couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"That is not only very rude on her part, but that attitude clearly indicates she's not interested."
Ellen put her hand to her forehead due to the stress she felt.
"I can't believe she really did it again. Her father already threatened her, and if she doesn't show interest, at this rate, if she doesn't get married, she'll be an old maid."
It seems her situation with my brother is very problematic.
◇◇◇
Once they were alone, the uncomfortable silence returned to the room.
Elaine touched her hair disinterestedly while looking at her freshly painted nails, while Lyle, on the other hand, was terrified.
From time to time, his mouth would open and close because he didn't know what to say, but after a while he said.
"Maybe you don't remember me, but we were classmates."
Elaine, without looking at him, responded.
"You don't have to worry about that; I don't remember anyone from my class, much less anyone from the school."
Lyle felt anxious because he didn't know how to react.
Again she spoke and said.
"This possible engagement is to unite our families, and I'll tell you straight: I really hate common and simple men, but what I hate most is my life being boring and monotonous."
This time she said it while looking at him.
"I want a man who breaks the mold of what is considered ordinary."
That's what she was saying, which was being reproduced in a hologram from a drone Ixion sent to spy.
Everyone was horrified by what they heard.
Rudel, who had his face covered, thought:
(She's just like Ellen, or even worse!)
Ellen, who also had her face covered, said to Rudel's family:
"I'm very sorry; she is like an older sister to me, because it's thanks to her that I learned that common men are no good, but I didn't expect her to take it to an extreme where she causes problems for everyone."
Alisa, with a horrified face, finally understood it.
(This woman's problem is that she seeks strong emotions, and that kind of woman is the worst of all.)
Rudel murmured to himself.
"Lyle is a guy who shows off, but he's a coward; therefore, this will undoubtedly fail."
Everyone watches Lyle, who suddenly stands up and says to excuse him for a moment.
He enters the room where everyone is and shakes Rudel asking for help.
"Rudel, please, help me! I don't know what to do!"
"L-Lyle, let me go!"
"How did a simple, boring, and ugly guy like you get not one, but four beautiful fiancées? Tell me, please!"
His family wanted to protest, but they also wanted to know.
Anyone who knows Rudel would know he's not a charismatic or pleasant man, but for some reason he has won the hearts of several women. That must be what Ixion thinks, who remains silent observing everything.
Still being shaken, Rudel answered while seeing everything upside down.
"I-it's called luck."
"Luck doesn't happen four times in the same life!"
Lyle stopped shaking him, looked him in the eyes, and told him the truth.
"I… want to win her over. Since I was at the academy, I always saw her from the back of the classroom as a nobody; to me, she was always an unattainable queen. She was the girl everyone longed for and couldn't stop dreaming of marrying."
"And now that I have the opportunity to get engaged to her, I want to achieve it. So I ask you, please, as your older brother, to help me with this."
Rudel was left speechless by what his older brother said, but he didn't know how to respond because, from his point of view, those conquests just happened.
Ixion whispered to Rudel.
"It seems your older brother wants to show that girl that he is a man who will give her those emotions."
Rudel understood what Ixion told him; he looked at Alisa and she said:
"It's your brother's decision."
After hearing that, Rudel says to Lyle:
"The best thing you can do is act as she wants."
Then, Ixion brings with him a memento: it's Jude's collar that he kept.
Everyone was surprised, including Rudel himself.
"Why do you still have that?"
"It was a request from Lucy; she said not to throw it away because it's an important memory for her."
"I'll talk to Lucy about keeping memories that make me look like a freak."
But that collar was just what Rudel needed; he took it and brought it close to Lyle, who was looking at it as if someone found a person walking naked in a park.
"He'll tell you what happened with the collar later, but it's not what you think; you just have to use it to show her that you'll give her strong emotions as she wants."
(I can't think of anything else that could excite a copy of Ellen.)
Rudel observed Ellen, who was looking at the collar with envy, murmuring: "You had something like that stored away and never showed me, you really are a man who never disappoints a woman," while she seemed to be drooling from envy and excitement, believing he had one stored for her.
Lyle, seeing her, understands that Elaine must experience that.
"Alright, I'll take your word for it. You have four women in love with you for a reason; you must have done something to win them over."
Lyle put the collar in a paper bag and, with a serious face, entered the room.
There he stared fixedly at Elaine, who noticed he was carrying something in a bag.
She thought he was carrying a weapon and went on alert.
(I don't think he's stupid enough to attack me, right? His family will get into trouble if he attacks me.)
Lyle, looking at her seriously, says.
"I'll show you that I'm not a boring man."
Suddenly, he took out the collar and placed it on the table, saying with a smile like the ones Rudel would make.
"I'll put this on you if you want to experience strong emotions so much. I'll make sure you never ask for something like that again in your life because I'll make you live those emotions every day."
Lyle thought it had worked because she was grabbing her arms; he thought it had worked.
(Yes, I did it.)
But Lyle realized that Elaine was trembling with fear and, immediately after, she ran out of the room in desperation.
"Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Both Lyle and all present who saw it screamed.
"Rudel!! You damn faker!!"
Lyle ran to the room and Rudel, amazed, said:
"I can't believe it didn't work. She's supposed to be a copy of Ellen and it still failed?"
While Lyle approached him to strangle him.
Ellen, who saw everything, murmured:
"Was that girl lying? Is everything she said just empty words?"
Not even Alisa could believe what she saw.
Lyle was strangling Rudel.
"It was all your fault! Now she'll think I'm a freak like you!"
"It's not my fault, you're choking me!"
"Lyle, let go of the Master right now, or else…"
Ixion electrocuted Lyle with a laser, but Rudel was also affected and both were dancing while receiving electric shocks in their bodies.
"Why me too!?"
Then, both fell with smoke coming from their mouths.
◇◇◇
Night fell; Ellen went to the room prepared for Elaine, who hadn't come out and it was already time for dinner.
Ellen knocked on the door and spoke through it.
"Onee-sama, what happened there?"
"Didn't you say you didn't want strong emotions?"
"You had a perfect opportunity there."
Elaine was with the lights off, trembling under her sheet.
"Ellen, did you tell them something?"
"I didn't. They were just their assumptions. But his younger brother must have given him some clue."
"That surprised me, but if he wants to play with fire, I'll play at his level."
Replied Elaine, still covered by her sheet, but her visible eye in that darkness showed that her flame was still active.
Ellen thought after hearing her say that.
(I think this is good because she hasn't rejected him, but I don't think she really wants this.)
(Because if Rudel had shown me the collar as a marriage proposal, I would have thrown myself into his arms, but she ran away and can only fear the worst.)
Ellen left Elaine alone and went to her own room.
The first day of the engagement attempt for both parties ended in a situation that no one can say was a success or a failure.
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The fanservice corresponds to our lioness, whom we haven't seen in a long time: https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/9961752?q=astraea_%28fate%29+
The next chapter will be even more exciting
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Here is the Mega link where you can see the chapters with illustrations in PDF format, as well as the characteristics of the characters and armor: https://mega.nz/folder/75wTzA4b#W-_qGvlSP9miCm1jpk54IQ