Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

I drew in a deep breath as I looked at them.

"I have a confession to make," I said softly. "…I love multiple women."

The silence stretched between us as I awkwardly stood there.

Even though I feel like I am a shameless guy, I still felt shame saying that.

Christina was the first to blink as she said, "….I know that."

It was Nymeria who was more shocked, her mouth agape.

She turned to look at Christina. "You know that?"

"Duh, he can't hide that from me." Christina said, showing a hint of superiority. "I even gave him permission to have multiple wives."

Nymeria immediately stood up, anger burning in her stance.

"Then why do you have to make me suffer—"

"I gave him permission." Christina cut her off, staring at me. "Doesn't mean I like that."

"Nymeria." I said before she could respond. "Sit down."

Nymeria froze when I spoke, but she still respected my voice, even when she was hurt.

She sat back down slowly, but her eyes didn't leave mine.

Christina leaned back on the couch, arms crossed.

I let out a slow breath.

"…I don't want any of you to feel unwanted," I said. "I don't want to choose one and destroy the other."

Nymeria stared at the floor, and Christina stared at me.

"So what then?" Nymeria whispered. "We just… coexist? Pretend we're fine? Take turns being ignored?"

[<Wow, she is hurt.>]

'Shut up.'

"I don't ignore you," I said quietly.

She looked up, her eyes tired. "But you don't choose me either."

Christina clicked her tongue.

"That's what this is about? Being 'chosen'?" she scoffed. "He already chose you, we live with him, what more do you want?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Nymeria said. "I didn't realize existing in the house like furniture counted as being loved."

Christina's smile slowly faded.

Nymeria continued, voice breaking just a little. "….He loves you and only you, and it shows in the way he treats you."

I didn't interrupt her.

Because everything she said… none of it was wrong.

Christina turned to me, eyes narrowing.

"Well? Say something."

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"…Nymeria," I said softly, "I don't love you."

"...."

She remained frozen as her eyes slowly dimmed.

"…because what I feel for you," I continued quietly, "isn't love yet."

Nymeria's fingers curled against her dress.

"I care for you, Nymeria." I said, voice steady. "And I think of you more than I should."

Her lips trembled.

"That's not love," she whispered.

"….Not yet," I agreed.

She swallowed hard.

Christina's voice cut in, quiet but sharp:

"So you're saying she matters… but not the same way I do."

I turned to her.

"The reason you became an elf is because of her." I said, looking into her eyes.

Christina looked away, thoughtful.

Nymeria stood up as she began to walk away.

"Nymeria!"

She didn't listen, her hands moved up to her face as she walked.

"...."

[<She is crying.>]

'I can see that.'

I slowly turned to look at Christina, who had her eyes on me.

With a light smile, she spread her arms as if inviting me.

I let out another sigh as I lay on the sofa with my face within her bosom.

She leaned back, adjusting herself in a way to make me feel comfortable.

Christina gently stroked my hair, her voice low and almost amused.

"You really are terrible at this, you know."

"Thanks," I muttered into her chest. "Very supportive."

"I am being supportive," she said. "I didn't stab anyone. That's progress."

"…Barely."

She chuckled, fingers tracing the back of my neck.

"Why didn't you go after her?" she asked quietly.

"I wanted to," I said. "But if I chased her now, she'd think I'm just patching a wound, not actually choosing her."

Christina hummed softly, as if she understood more than she let on.

"You could've lied," she said. "Told her you loved her. She would've smiled. She would've stayed."

"I don't want to love someone by lying," I said. "And I don't want her to resent me later for forcing something half-formed into a promise."

Christina paused.

"…Huh," she whispered. "You are greedy, Qais."

I tilted my head up. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"Yes."

I groaned and lay back down.

Christina smiled, but there was a strange softness in her expression.

"Who else do you love?" Christina asked gently.

"...."

"You can tell me." She coaxed, her voice soft. "I won't be mad."

"Innana, Shyamal," I spoke gently. "….Siersha, Yennefer."

I would keep the others out of it for now.

She doesn't have to know about all of them.

Christina's hand paused in my hair. "Isn't Yennefer…."

"Not really." I mumbled softly. "She is alive within Zenith."

Her fingers kept moving through my hair, but her thoughts had clearly stopped.

After a long moment, she finally spoke.

"…Four," she said. "You just casually listed four other women."

"…Yes."

She flicked my forehead, but it didn't hurt at all.

She is too weak to hurt me right now.

I lifted my face. "What was that for?"

"Nothing." She replied, wrapping her hand around my head. "I just felt like it."

'…Hmm?'

I slowly got up from her embrace as I felt something around the house.

Christina looked confused as I began to walk toward the main door.

"Qais." She whispered, making me stop. "Can I talk with Inna?"

'…Inna.'

[<You go, I will stay with her.>]

I nodded as I began to move again while a bright light left my body.

I jumped past all the rooms as I reached the door in an instant.

I opened it and immediately found a boy standing outside.

The boy with long crimson hair smiled softly. "…Hey, Himmel."

I looked at Elijah and immediately noticed the tense look on his face.

I let out a sigh as I pointed to the guest house. "Let's go there."

---

I opened the door of the guest house, finding Aimar laying on the bed, half-naked.

"The fuck?" He frowned, stabbing his shirt. "Knock before entering, for fuck—"

"Shut it." I said, Elijah walking behind me. "We got company."

Elijah smiled as he waved at Aimar. "Hey, man."

Aimar didn't say anything as he stood up and arranged the chair for us.

I sat down and so did Elijah.

"I heard about the things you did in the vampire army." Elijah said, looking at Aimar. "Aren't you a badass—"

"Kindly kill yourself." Aimar cut him off, leaning on the wall.

Elijah remained confused as he looked at me for explanation.

'..Ah, he doesn't know it was Oliver, not him.'

"Leave him be." I said with a small smile. "Tell me, why are you here?"

Elijah exhaled slowly, the smile fading from his face.

"…Himmel, we have a problem."

Of course we do. No one ever visits me just to say hi.

I leaned back in the chair. "Which one? The world-ending type, the political type, or something else?"

"It's something else." Elijah said softly. "I don't understand how I should…."

He stopped in the middle as he fidgeted with his fingers.

I leaned forward as I noticed his nervousness.

Elijah isn't the type to get worked up like this.

"….What happened?" I asked, more serious this time.

"…My father visited me." He spoke after a short while. "I talked with him."

"...."

Why did I not think of it?

Things are different in the game compared to reality.

Elijah didn't meet his mother this early, he wasn't living a calm life in the game.

Of course, Jones, who benefits from Elijah's misery, won't like it.

"….What did he say?" I asked, keeping my gaze on him.

"….He talked about how the Aljanah will take everything from me." Elijah spoke. "How they will kill everything I love."

Aimar's expression shifted immediately and so did mine.

"…And you believed him?" I asked.

Elijah shook his head. "No. I know he lies. I know he twists everything. But…"

His fingers curled into fists.

"…For a while, I've been having a dream… a really weird one."

My ears immediately raised as I heard about the dream.

"….What type of dream, Elijah?" I asked, keeping my gaze on him.

"A nightmare." He spoke softly. "In which I was killing every single one of the Aljanah… including my foster mother."

"...."

Fuck…

This is exactly what happened in the game.

I leaned forward.

"…Tell me everything," I said.

Elijah nodded slowly.

"In the dream, I wasn't myself. I was… different, and my body felt stronger, even my thoughts felt colder. I…" He hesitated for a second. "…I wasn't fighting for my life, but I was enjoying it."

I stayed silent because this wasn't just a "bad dream."

This was the shadow of fate — a future that used to be real in the game.

A path Elijah was destined to take, before I rewrote too many things.

'…Is this really happening?'

Is there something else dragging Elijah back to his original path?

'.....'

I let out a sigh as I reached to my bracelet.

The next instant, a blank card appeared in my hand.

…..The card that Samyaza gave me.