Taming The Villainesses

Episode 241.2

Stella then briefly glanced at Deneb, who was behind me, before gently extending her gloved hand to me.

“Sir Theo, may I ask you to escort me for a moment?”

“Why are you doing this? It’s not like you. It feels awkward.”

“… Oh-hoho, quickly now. Do you intend to embarrass a lady by leaving her hand?”

Despite her exaggerated laughter, the veins on her forehead seemed ready to pop, so I decided to take her hand as she requested.

As I held her delicate hand, Deneb’s eyes gleamed behind her thin glasses, “Well then, you two have a nice chat. I’ll take my leave,” and withdrew.

Wondering if I could let go of her hand now, Professor Stella whispered quietly enough for only me to hear. 

“They’ll probably follow us, so keep acting friendly. Got it? We’re going to the restaurant up ahead.”

“…….”

In the end, I had to enter the expensive restaurant as she said. Sitting by the wall near the transparent skylight, Stella glanced around and then whispered.

“So, did you get it? The contract?”

“I did.”

“Where, can I see it?”

“No.”

“Ugh….”

It was amusing how she now dressed like a noble lady but still acted like a ruffian. She looked as beautiful as a fairy, but her personality was… What a pity.

As I was thinking this, Stella, who had been scanning the surroundings like a spy in enemy territory, finally took off the hat she was wearing and said. 

“Hmph, I bet it says something like, ‘Marry me,’ right?”

“Oh, impressive.”

She was still a professor, after all. I didn’t know how she deduced it, but she was quite sharp.

“It’s easy to see through those old geezers’ thoughts. The moment they found out I had no intention of leading the family, they started pestering me for an heir.”

‘I see. I didn’t know much about the Bellhawk family’s internal matters so this is new.’

“A young Rank 5 Mage. As Theo-kun knows, mages are greatly influenced by their bloodlines. So, they probably want to add the blood of a capable mage to the lineage…”

“That’s an elf way of thinking. It’s true that if a skilled mage becomes the head of the family, the elves could certainly hold their heads high.”

“Exactly, right?”

It was well-known that exceptional mages would receive good marriage prospects.

Just like how lawyers and doctors were considered desirable sons-in-law, first-rate mages would be top-tier grooms.

The reason why people with even the slightest talent clung to magic was because if they managed to break through to the 2nd rank, their fortune would change. 

‘Hmm, I see.’

Though I wasn’t really conscious of it before, by rapidly breaking through to the 5th rank, I’d essentially become a top-tier groom.

That was why Elga and Mirna drank the kimchi soup, and were somewhat accepting of the idea of bringing me into their families as a live-in son-in-law.

Of course, there was no way I’d become that.

Rather, they would probably adopt my surname, becoming Elga Von Angmar and Mirna Von Angmar. Hehe.

“So, the Bellhawk family wants to take me in as a live-in son-in-law.”

“Yes, Theo-kun is close to the Queen, and your magical prowess is already proven. Those old geezers wouldn’t just sit idly by.”

While Stella said this, my thoughts were different.

In this case, it would be more accurate to say that they wanted me to be a trophy for the Bellhawk family, to produce an heir, and to take responsibility for the troublesome Stella.

In other words, they wanted to offload their burdens onto me.

I might have pretended not to understand in front of the elf elders, but I was not foolish enough to miss their intentions. Honestly, I didn’t really mind going along with their plans.

To achieve peace, the Bellhawk family must eventually be dealt with. However, the thought of Stella Belhawk gave me a headache.

“So, are you listening to me? Anyway, this is another chance for me. If Theo-kun becomes a live-in son-in-law of the Bellhawk family…”

“……”

Stella was a shameless rogue. I knew this well from experience. Frankly, in my eyes, Stella Bellhawk scored a 3 out of 10. And I gave her a 3 only because she was pretty.

Come to think of it, Elga had a bit of a bratty side too.

… But Elga had the charming innocence of a young girl. She also possessed  a soft side like a maiden.

Even Aira was sometimes warm and caring. Her expression was also endearing.

The twins, Mirna and Narmi, were exemplary as long as you didn’t touch on taboo topics.

However, Stella was different from them.

In some ways, Stella was more troublesome than the naughty imps.

Living a married life with such a woman, I’d rather give Aira a shoulder massage with no pay. But I recently came to realize that a woman’s behavior often depended on how a man treated her.

Didn’t I ultimately win over Elga, who was brutal enough to scar my eye, and the devoutly guarded Draco twins?

“Anyway, Theo-kun, just pretend to go along with it for a while, okay? Even if we have a wedding, we can just live without touching each other. Right?”

“A wedding?”

“Yes, a wedding. Of course, it’s not a real wedding but more like a fake one. I’ll be free from those old geezers’ eyes, and Theo-kun gets a perfect bride like me, even if it’s just a facade.”

How ridiculous.

“In the meantime, I’ll work hard to gather shares and further solidify my position—.”

“I don’t like it.”

“W-what?”

Stella was flustered as I cut her off sharply.