[Book of Eros] Chapter 89 - Late night walks. (Patreon)

After diner, Leo went back to his room and dropped on the still laid out futon. He was mentally tired from having to force himself to change his previous attitude. Stopping light quarrels from starting and dancing around advances towards him by Lucia and Seina, all while Angela did her best to hold back her own glaring and Kaede and Valerie awkwardly stayed away from participating in any sort of… competition. Adding to that, Mrs. Wisler was being her usual insightful self and quickly caught on to what Leo was trying to do. As a result, she left him to handle the flow of conversation instead of doing it herself. Even if his mental fortitude was supposed to be better than others’, Leo still felt exhausted.

In the depths and privacy of his mind, he allowed himself to indulge in a fantasy where all the girls in the house got along and he could relax on his futon with a harem of gorgeous, naked women gently pleasuring him. It was a mental image that made him excited, and something he wished could someday happen. But if it ever did, it wouldn’t suddenly happen on its own. He’d have to work for it, become someone desired and deserving of enough trust to be surrounded by women.

He sat up his futon. He took a deep breath and thought about the women under this roof. Angela was passionate and forward. He loved her for that. Kaede was shy and awkward, but Leo believed she would eventually grow past that. She wanted to, after all. Seina had found her calling as a voice actress and was willing to put her whole being into it, that much was clear. Lucia… knew what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid to go for it. She also had no issues saying what she thought. He supposed those were good qualities. If she could understand that others had their own desires as well, then perhaps he’d be more attracted to her than just her body (because yeah, she was stupidly hot and there was no denying that). Lastly, Valerie was the one he understood the least, which was ironic considering he was the only one here, aside from Mrs. Wisler, who could properly speak to her. She was slowly getting more comfortable around them, enough to ask questions about more delicate topics. But other than that, she remained closed off. He wanted to understand them, to grow closer to them. Despite their differences, he refused to believe it was impossible for them to form a meaningful bond. It could be as friends or something else, but if the images in his head were to be trusted…

“Shit,” he groaned and scratched his head. “I just want to make them all mine. What the fuck’s wrong with me?”

The idea of a harem was exciting, not just because it would mean having so many women to have sex with, but because it would mean having many people to trust and, well… love. If there was even a silver of a chance this new and foolish dream could become real… was it wrong to pursue it?

His musings were interrupted by a knock on his door. Leo shook his head and took a deep breath before he went to answer. On the other side of the door, he found Valerie.

“Hey,” he said. “What’s up?”

“…Don’t get the wrong idea,” she said, bashfully. “I’m not here to… to do THAT.”

Yeah, he figured. It was technically her turn today, but like he’d said during lunch today, he wasn’t going to force them into anything. Working towards making them like him, though, was a different matter.

“I didn’t think you were. So? What can I help with?”

“Can we talk?”

An idea popped into Leo’s mind, and he peeked through the half-closed curtains of his room’s window to confirm that the sky outside was dark, clear and full of stars. He gave Valerie a smile and asked, “Want to go for a walk outside?”

“…Sure.”

The two left the Tensai Residence, the air outside being warm despite the late hour. Summer was getting ever closer, and the island was already hot enough. Leo wasn’t looking forward to it. As he’d seen, the sky was clear and sparkling with stars while lamp posts illuminated the roads.

“We’ll have more privacy here than inside the house,” he said. “So? What did you want to talk about?”

“I don’t know,” Valerie let out a mix of a sigh and a groan. “But you said I could talk to you, right?”

“I did,” he nodded. “So if you just want to chat, let me ask a question. Why did you get into the martial arts program at the gym with Angela and me?” Valerie flinched, and Leo believed he’d hit the nail in the head.

“Okay, I lied. That’s what I wanted to talk about,” she admitted, shoulder slumping before a small smile crossed her face. “When we watched Angela fight, I thought it was amazing. I asked myself if I’d be able to do things like that. It was the first time in a while that I’d wondered.”

“You must not get many challenges with that Gift of yours, huh?”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “That’s exactly it. I…” A nostalgic smile adorned her lips. “I love sports, okay? I really do. I love competition and working to improve myself. But I’m also not the kind of person who enjoys easy wins. Would you feel proud of yourself if you kept winning football matches against 10-year-old children?”

“Not at all.” Leo answered easily, shaking his head.

“…I didn’t come to the island to have sex,” she said bluntly, even though her face was heating up. “I came here because I was promised I’d find a purpose again, and watching Angela, I think I have. I want to fight her, not because I hate her or anything, but because she’s proficient in an area I’m not. It’s been years since I last felt like this, since I felt the desire to improve on something. And I think that, even if learning to fight comes easy to me thanks to my Gift, it won’t be enough to beat Angela.”

“I think so too,” Leo told her. “To be honest, I think that if the fight between her and Victoria had gone on, Angela would’ve ended up winning. It probably would’ve been brutal, but… I think her instincts are THAT strong.”

“Yeah,” Valerie nodded. “So… I also wanted to thank you for what you said during lunch today, about not wanting to force us into anything.”

“Don’t mention it. If we forced it, it would only make things awkward between us. But if I’m being honest,” he grinned, “it doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’ll make you want me eventually.”

“W-Wha-?” she exclaimed and stopped walking.

“Yep,” Leo said easily as he turned to her. “And I’ll do it before you start feeling the full effects of the curse.”

“D-Dude, you have two girlfriends!”

“Hey, if the only way to stop the curse is to sleep with many women, I might as well try to form meaningful relationships, don’t you think?” he asked, crossing his arms and standing his ground. “Or would it be better if I did it with people I don’t care about?”

“…” Valerie’s jaw hung for a moment before she burst out laughing. “You’re insane!”

Leo laughed with her. “I prefer to think everything that’s happening is making me insane. I guess this is my way of coping?”

“Okay then, try and see if you can make me fall for you. I’m very picky of what I want in a man, though.”

Her smile was genuine, her posture was more relaxed than when she went to get him in his room, and she looked at him like she was giving him a fun challenge with her eyes.

Maybe the change of mindset was a good idea, after all.