The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Well, I guess doing that all of a sudden would be a bit too much, even for you, Johanne," Tris said, her tone playful but supportive. "But honestly, if you just let yourself be, you'd look amazing. You're an absolute bombshell now! You were such a hunk as a man, but as a woman, you're breathtaking. Your face alone could put so many women to shame."

"I-I don't even know how to take that all at once," Johanne muttered, fidgeting. "I mean, I'm still not used to bras and panties, let alone taking care of my body the way women do. I never had to worry about that when I was a man."

Her words made me laugh quietly to myself. Those old mannerisms of hers, the way her past still clung to her—it wasn't a negative thing. If anything, it made her all the more endearing.

Besides, I liked a little tomboyish charm in my harem too.

Tris, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying herself way too much. She loved dressing Johanne up, experimenting with different outfits and cosmetics, like she was a doll to play with.

It wasn't surprising, though. Tris had been Johanne's fiancée back when everyone thought Johanne was a man. And when Johanne eventually joined my harem, Tris followed, becoming one of my women too.

Now, watching the two of them together—the way they bickered, teased each other, and laughed—it filled me with a kind of warmth I couldn't put into words. Something quiet but deep, like watching two pieces of a puzzle fit perfectly together, and knowing I was part of it all.

***

After hanging out with the two of them, I eventually decided it was only fair to spend some time with my other friends as well.

At first, I didn't think much about it, but the more I paid attention, the more something felt… off. Maybe it was because I kept seeing those three sticking together so often lately. But the thought kept nagging at me—did Estelle actually build herself a harem out of my two friends?

I mean, when I really looked at it, I couldn't imagine Estelle having genuine feelings for either of them. Sure, Duncan and Estelle were technically dating, but I honestly didn't see that relationship heading anywhere meaningful. The way they acted around each other—it didn't give off the impression of something that could grow into anything serious. Nothing about them suggested they had crossed any kind of line or deepened their relationship beyond what they already had now.

From my point of view, Estelle was either just playing around with both of them or maybe she was carefully drawing boundaries somewhere. Where exactly that line was supposed to be, I couldn't tell. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that this whole thing wasn't really part of Estelle's original plan. Something about her approach didn't sit right with me, and it made me think I needed to be cautious whenever I was around her.

As Estelle and Duncan walked a little ahead of us, I found myself side by side with Raymond. We were just casually walking, when out of nowhere, he spoke up, his voice carrying just enough weight to catch my attention.

"Hey, Leon. Have you heard the rumors?" he asked.

"Rumors?" I repeated, glancing at him.

"That Professor Rose and Professor Irene are pregnant."

The words hit me harder than I expected. Until then, I hadn't even realized rumors like that were spreading throughout the academy. The fact that people were not only noticing but gossiping about it shocked me.

"I don't know anything about that," I told him flatly.

Of course, the truth was different—I did know. They really were pregnant. But to hear it was already circulating as a rumor among students… that was something else.

"What's even the basis for that rumor, though?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Well, for one, they've started showing certain signs that you'd normally associate with pregnant women," Raymond explained. His tone was calm, almost analytical. "I'll admit, I was skeptical myself. But when I saw Professor Irene earlier, I swear her stomach looked like it was sticking out just a little. Maybe it was just my imagination… but honestly, it really could be true. As I said, the possibility of both of them being pregnant is actually pretty high."

I was honestly taken aback by just how much detail Raymond had paid attention to. He'd put enough thought into it to draw his own conclusions. But then again, that was always like him. He had the kind of sharp eyes and mind that noticed things most others wouldn't.

"And there's something else I heard," Raymond continued. "People are saying you're the father, Leon."

"…Huh?"

That caught me completely off guard. I didn't expect anyone to connect the dots that far. Sure, the students here were clever enough to observe things, but for them to push it to this level… that was beyond what I anticipated. Still, as long as I kept quiet, nothing definite could ever come out.

"Where did that even come from?" I asked, keeping my expression neutral.

"Well, a lot of people are assuming you've got some kind of relationship with the Professors, and that you ended up knocking them up. I'll be honest with you, Leon—I'm kind of starting to believe the rumor a little myself," Raymond said.

"Why's that?" I pressed.

"It's not like I can help it," he replied. "I've seen the way you interact with them—it's weird. And considering your almost frivolous, debauched relationships with so many girls in this academy, it's hard to think otherwise. The rumor just… makes sense when you put it all together."

I let out a small breath. Well, I couldn't deny it. I did have that kind of frivolous streak. My relationships with girls here weren't exactly subtle either. People had seen me walking around with them openly, sometimes more than one at a time. With that kind of reputation, it was only natural for people to think the way they did.

"And to be honest," Raymond added after a pause, "I also feel like you might be the father of Professor Gabrielle's child too. Your reputation's already being dragged through the mud because you're connected with so many women. So it's not surprising that all these rumors are backfiring on you. People are putting the blame on you."

"Well, I guess I have been making a lot of enemies lately," I admitted with a bitter smile. "I've noticed plenty of men glaring at me whenever I walk around with Nia."

It made sense. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became that all of this was probably just jealousy. Men who couldn't stand the fact that I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful women in the academy would obviously want to paint me as the villain. Framing me as the father of Rose's and Irene's children was just their way of putting me down.

"So? Are you the father?" Raymond asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, like he was trying to read my reaction.

I smiled at him, calm but unreadable. "I don't want to talk about that."

The moment those words left my mouth, Raymond fell silent. What I said wasn't a denial, but it wasn't a confirmation either. And from the look on his face, I could tell his mind was already racing, the gears turning as he tried to piece together what I really meant.