Infinite Harem System: I Grow Stronger From Every Female Lead

Arthur sat beside Isabella in a dimly lit room, the faint aroma of roasted coffee drifting through the air.

She sipped quietly, her expression unreadable.

For several long minutes, neither of them spoke. It wasn't awkward, but it was heavy.

After a brief glance at Isabella, Arthur finally broke the stillness.

"How have you been?" he asked softly.

Her eyes shifted toward him. "Everything's been fine," she replied, her tone calm but layered. "In fact… more than fine. I opened a multi-million business. They call me the greatest merchant now."

Arthur smiled, genuinely pleased for her. "That's good to hear." Then, after a short pause, he asked, "Are you mad at me?"

She nodded. "Very."

"May I ask… why exactly?"

Isabella lingered for a moment before setting her cup down with a faint clink.

Her voice carried a subtle sadness. "Are you truly unaware of why I'm mad?"

"I… honestly have no idea," Arthur admitted.

"Then should I tell you?" she murmured. Before he could answer, she went on. "I am supposed to be your personal maid, your soulmate. So why do you lie to me so much? Why do you keep so many secrets from me?"

Her questions came one after another, each one pressing against him more than her voice ever could.

In Arthur's mind, the pieces began to fit together. He understood now why Isabella never approached Arthur Arcain in the game, why her distance from him seemed so deliberate.

Like everyone else who knew about the prophecy, the truth that the real Arthur would one day inhabit the original's body, she feared the Arthur she loved might vanish, replaced by someone else.

And she couldn't bear to watch that happen.

So she kept her distance. Close enough to protect him, far enough to spare herself heartbreak.

Even after he'd changed, she couldn't trust that it would last.

What if this Arthur vanished too? What if all her efforts, all her feelings, meant nothing?

Arthur couldn't blame her. It was exactly the kind of thing he might have done in her position. Considering her sharp business mind and her lifelong trust issues, it made perfect sense.

It was clear now that Isabella didn't need a grand rescue or some dramatic gesture. What she needed was the truth.

Isabella placed a hand on her chest. "Do you know how it feels, knowing the master you serve will someday leave you? I've panicked some nights… What if I fall for the demon Arthur? What if my soul, bonded to his, dies when he's replaced?"

Arthur rose and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes widened, then tears welled as she held him tightly.

"I'll tell you everything," he said, his voice low but firm. "Well… except the embarrassing parts."

Her tears streamed faster as she nearly squeezed the breath out of him.

After she embraced him for another five minutes, he told her details only an Earthling would know.

Even the fact that both Nathira and Sylvia had known him before his reincarnation.

He didn't hide anything since he had decided to tell his wives everything and learn everything about them, no matter how slowly.

When he finally finished, Isabella rested her hand under her chin, eyes still red from crying. "I understand… but never would I have thought reincarnation existed."

Then her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "And you died for a simple kiss?"

Arthur's face flushed. "Yeah… kind of a long story."

She smiled faintly. "I understand."

Rising to her feet, she extended her hand to him. "Why don't we go save Ellie, my eternal lover?"

Arthur stood, taking her hand.

'That's an entire scenario skipped,' he thought with a small smile.

Isabella's face was practically glowing, like she had been gifted a million dollars.

She looked breathtaking.

Arthur closed his eyes briefly as they made their way up the stairs of the four-story complex. 'Communication really can change a lot.'

The two of them climbed until they reached an obsidian door at the end of a hallway.

Isabella opened it slowly as the light from what seemed like a magic projector spilled into the corridor.

However, the light wasn't what caught Arthur off guard.

"Guys? What are you doing here?"

Inside the room, seated around a circular table, were eight figures.

Nathira, Arthur's first wife. Amelia, his official first wife. Ellie, the baby yandere of the group. Sylvia, his overly cheerful and airheaded wife. Eira, the ever-innocent and supportive wife. Elizabeth, his tsundere tech genius.

And—

"And what's Eliya doing here?"

Finally, there was Arthur's teacher… and his well... concubine.

The entire Val Arcain family had assembled.

------

(Inside the coronation building)

Thud—

The body of a stunning brown-haired woman fell to the ground with a soft thump as an equally beautiful woman with black hair loomed above her.

"I'm quite disappointed in you, little sister," Rachel said as she sat on the lone chair in the room, one that looked like it belonged in an interrogation chamber.

She exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigar. "You made me really sad. Didn't I tell you not to leave the carriage or call that bastard's name again?"

Cassie's gaze dropped. "I'm sorry."

Rachel sighed. "Pathetic. You won't even speak up after I killed your lover?"

Cassie didn't know why—maybe because they were family, maybe because of Rachel's threats, or maybe because of the things Rachel had told her—but she couldn't raise her head.

After a pause, she responded, trembling slightly. "It was my fault, sister… so how can I blame you?"

'Why do I feel so awful?' she wondered, unable to understand why her heart ached so much.

She had only known Arthur for about a month, so why did his death hurt this much?

Rachel's expression twisted. "As I told you before, as my property you'll be the toy of many men for a full day. It's meant to be a life-changing event for me, so don't ruin it."

Cassie nodded slowly, which brought a smile to Rachel's face.

"Good." She tilted Cassie's chin upward. "But to be sure, I'll increase your surveillance and make sure you don't leave this room until the event begins."

Cassie's eyes snapped up. "But sister, you promised that—"

Rachel held Cassie's cheeks, forcing her mouth open. "Do you want to defy me?"

Cassie shook her head, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "No, I'm not… but please let me enjoy the world once more. Let me feel life one more time before becoming your slave."

Rachel raised her face with a gentle smile. "No, sweetie." She kept cupping her cheeks softly. "I am your life, so get used to it."

As soon as she let Cassie drop back to the floor, a man rushed into the room.

"My lady, they have arrived—one of our top investors, Gold Diggers."

─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───