Dragon God's Proposition | Chapter One: The Dragon God Loves
Twenty thousand years of solitude. That was her life… That was all the Dragon God had known in her long life.
She went from loop to excruciating loop in an unending and monotonous cycle. She'd gain a few sparse allies, but they'd all betray her. She'd find someone she could trust even a little, and they'd backstab her. Every time, her curse would get in her way and ruin any chances of success. Even if she was the strongest and capable of anything, she was still incapable of finishing her mission. Even with her long life, she couldn't complete the one thing she'd been striving for. It was getting tiring, but nevertheless, she continued on. She had to.
Ophelia was content with clawing her way towards the end of the loop. If it meant sinking her hands into the stomach of the Man-God and prying the life from his body, everything would all be worth it. That was the only logical conclusion she had come to. Knowledge and persistence would eventually lead to her final goal. The end of an endless journey.
It was like this that she spent millennia. Then, in a loop like any other, something happened. The Fittoa region in the Asura kingdom was erased, and all that was left was a singular girl in the grass fields. One that met the Dragon God in the eyes and didn't look away.
A person who wasn't scared of her.
Usually, Ophelia would've ended the loop then and there after such a calamity, but she decided to continue. She was willing to continue if someone like Nanahoshi existed in this loop. She didn't know it then, but something had sparked inside her. A tiny ember of hope had lit in her heart for the first time in her long journey.
The two traveled together for two years. Across the world, they searched for the girl's friends she'd been separated from. At that time, Ophelia was given someone she could talk to, even if it was just a little; it helped the Dragon God in ways the girl could've never known.
Then, a boy appeared before them. He was alongside two people that the Dragon God had known well. Ruijerd Superdia and Eris Boreas Greyrat, both of whom were different from what Ophelia could tell. That mattered little to her, though. What did was the fact the boy looked at her. With no fear or hatred in his eyes, just like the girl next to her.
This boy was Rudeus Greyrat. The son of Paul and Zenith Greyrat. Frankly, he wasn't supposed to exist. In every single loop Ophelia had been through, she had never seen Paul ever have a son. Zenith would always have a miscarriage on her first birth. This time, however, she didn't. Rudeus Greyrat was an anomaly—an unknown.
To make matters worse, he knew the name Man-God. That fact alone made him a threat. Not only was he a complete unknown to the Dragon God, but he was also an apostle of the Man-God. He was an enemy of the Dragon God… So he needed to die.
That's what Ophelia had intended, but because of Nanahoshi's intervention, he was spared, partly due to her hypothesis that he wasn't affected by the woman's curse. He could potentially be one of her friends or another reincarnated person. Ophelia was willing to let him go, and only because of this. If he did anything suspect, the Dragon God would later hunt him down and finish him like she had initially intended to.
Of course, doing that only let him rebuild his strength, and a couple of years later, the man ambushed her. She hadn't expected it. She last heard of Rudeus Greyrat from Nanahoshi, who told her he lived peacefully with his slowly growing family in Sharia. So why attack her when it could mean the end of all that? Attacking the Dragon God would surely mean destroying the peace he had built. It looked like she was too kind to let him off the hook. Ophelia had firmly reaffirmed her opinion of the man.
He was going to die, and she was going to kill him.
However, his adaptability and resourcefulness throughout the fight impressed the Dragon God. He even went to such lengths to arrive in a pseudo-fighting god armor of his making. The boy she could toss aside easily only a few years prior was now a man she had to worry about. A person she had to—in some capacity, take seriously. Even with that, all he could do was try to beat her, and try he did.
Ophelia thoroughly thrashed the man in their fight and destroyed the armor that let him keep up with her. This was going to be the end of Rudeus Greyrat.
At least, it was supposed to be.
That was until Ophelia saw his gaze. The look of panic and fear in his eyes quickly dissipated as he looked at her. She realized what he was looking at when she looked down at that moment.
In their fight, the man had somehow blown off her coat—top included. Leaving the Dragon God's chest bare for him to see. That's when Ophelia realized the look in his eyes and the blush on his cheeks. This man wasn't affected by her curse, so he didn't hate or fear the woman unequivocally.
Ophelia was met with a look of…arousal…?
For the first time, she was looked at like a woman, not an object of fear and hatred. For the first time ever, the Dragon God felt embarrassed.
Rudeus Greyrat became the Dragon God's subordinate after that day. They convened, and both shared a mutual understanding that the Man-God was their enemy. Ophelia would send him on a dangerous mission, but he'd eagerly return for more. Years passed, Rudeus's family grew larger, and Ophelia's feeling of indebtedness to the man who had given this loop a chance only grew. Their relationship had even extended to the point where the woman could rely on the man as a friend.
But even those feelings had changed over time. Ophelia had no idea what she was feeling. It was something she had never felt in all her life. The thought of Rudeus poisoning her invaded her mind. Maybe he was finally getting revenge against the woman for what she did to him? She quickly squashed that idea.
Instead of mulling over her thoughts, she had someone she could talk to. Ophelia decided it would be good to consult the other unlikely friend she had gained in this timeline.
"So, what do you think?" The Dragon God idly sat on a sofa parallel to another as she spoke calmly to the girl infront of her. The only telltale signs the woman was anything close to embarrassed was how she was fiddling with her fingers.
The girl just deftly nodded along as she sipped at her tea. Nanahoshi didn't reasonably expect Ophelia to start their little meeting with such a story. Nor was the girl willing to participate in it in the first place. She had a lot of other things to worry about than a woman's love life. Nanahoshi had to practically worry about magic cancer and could only be awake one day a month.
Of course, that day was today. This meant Nanahoshi was using her precious day to lend an ear to the woman infront of her. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was just something the Japanese girl hadn't expected.
"Well, what do you think the issue is?" The girl knew the woman's problem but felt like digging for more.
"What else is there for me to say?" Ophelia peered at Nanahoshi with a face that screamed clueless. The woman had no idea what was going on with her heart.
"I don't know—do you feel like being next to him? Maybe having him hold you close as he whispers sweet nothings into your ears?" God, even saying that made her want to vomit.
The Dragon God, however, reacted with an awfully blunt and practical response. "That's exactly it."
There's no fucking way in hell she's this dense. The girl could only cringe in her thoughts at the woman.
She was genuinely coaching the Dragon God on her love life right now. What about her? Akito was still years away from coming to this world. So now what? She's a wingman for the woman infront of her?
"I think you're head over heels for Rudeus, Ophelia." The response came off in a defeated tone. The girl just wanted to go back to sleep at this point.
The only noticeable change about the woman was that her cheeks turned ever so slightly pink, from what Nanahoshi could tell.
"Is that what this is?" Her tone came off as bewildered. The Dragon God was genuinely shocked at the revelation as she sat infront of her accomplice.
Nanahoshi usually wouldn't have cared about the happenings. Typically, that is. When it involved Rudeus, however, it was different. He was the only person who could understand her references and quips, but he was also someone she respected greatly. To the girl, he was like a big brother or guardian. The same could be said for Ophelia. She cared for the girl when she found herself in this strange land. To Nanahoshi, she owed her life to both of them. Without them, she wouldn't be able to be here today, sipping tea with the woman infront of her—let alone talking about love like they're now.
"What should I do, Nanahoshi?" The woman's face turned to the younger girl. Even with her ever-so-prominent glare still on her face, by the tone of her voice, you could tell she was obviously flustered and maybe just a little stressed. Nanahoshi had never seen her face close to what it looked like now. Even she could tell.
If Rudeus was here, I'm sure he'd catch on immediately… How does he read her face like he does anyway? Putting that thought aside, the girl continued to think about everything.
The topic wasn't an easy one. Sure, Rudeus was a sexual deviant. By every stretch of the imagination, the man was practically a fiend. His wives were as well. All three of them. To Nanahoshi, the entire Greyrat family was filled to the gills with whom she would call perverts, but that wasn't the issue. The problem was the man Ophelia had fallen in love with. The person Nanahoshi felt she owed had fallen in love with the man she also owed much to. The one man she had ought to not fall in love with.
Nanahoshi knew Rudeus was fickle. He could cave at any moment. It wouldn't take much for Ophelia to claw into his heart. It would probably be as easy as confessing to him, inviting him into her bed, and pressing her body into his, and he'd probably be gone just like that. The problem here wasn't that. The problem was Ophelia's curse and how Sylphiette, Roxy, and Eris would take the news. The Dragon God sent their husband on multiple month-long jobs that often proved incredibly dangerous. Sure, they could deal with the Dragon God, but letting her come on as another wife?
It wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure, but Nanahoshi felt she couldn't just sit around and watch everything go down. She thought she had a debt to pay and wanted to fulfill it. She, in some way, wanted to pay her dues.
"I'll give you some tips then. They should work on a man like Rudeus." The girl leaned forward toward the white-haired woman as her voice lowered in volume to a whisper. Ophelia, in turn, leaned forward, a tiny and awkward smile pulling at her lips.
"Please." She seemed thoroughly bashful. Not that Nanahoshi could tell, but this was a lovely change of pace for the girl stuck in time.
"I'm back, little elf!" Even from where they stood, they could hear his voice. His original voice, booming with excitement, quickly quieted down as he and the secretary exchanged a short conversation.
"You didn't tell me he would be back today." Nanahoshi, in a quiet whisper, chastised the woman infront of her.
"I thought he would be another week or so." With a quizzical outlook, the woman's face appeared slightly happy about the man's arrival.
"Don't you get all happy about—" Before Nanahoshi could finish speaking, the door to the office flung open.
Not even a moment later, a man with his light brown hair pulled into a long ponytail walked through the doorway. Nanahoshi could've confused him with a European model if she knew no better. Oddly enough, she didn't feel any sort of attraction to this man. Maybe it was because she knew who he used to be, or perhaps it was something else.
"I finished the job, President!" His upbeat attitude quickly invaded the quiet room as the two women froze on his arrival.
Obviously, Rudeus took immediate notice of their behavior. He noted how Nanahoshi was nervously fidgeting with her cup of tea or how Ophelia had an odd look on her face… I've never seen that expression before. He could read the woman like an open book, but never had he seen anything like the expression she wore now. It was so strange that he couldn't even tell what it was.
"You're here, Nanahoshi? I didn't hear about you paying us a visit." He turned his head to look at the black-haired girl lounging on the sofa.
"Uh, Ophelia wanted to speak with me. You know—girl talk and all." Being blunt with the man usually helped him understand things faster and better.
"Ahh—girl talk… Well, that's good. I always hear about how important that stuff is from Sylphie." The man rubbed his chin, which had accumulated stubble over his long outing. "Well, anyway. You have anything else for me, Boss?" His smile returned to being chipper when he looked back at the still, quiet woman.
The woman's head quickly darted toward Nanahoshi, but she got a defeated shrug.
This was up to her judgment now. "Rudeus." At the sound of his name, the man quickly stood at attention. "Could you do a favor for me…instead of a job?" The man's composure slowly broke as he returned to standing as usual. His eyebrows furrowed as if he was trying to piece what was happening together.
"Sure. If it helps the President, I don't mind doing anything—within reason, of course." The last part was added in a rush as his face stiffened, most likely from remembering one of the previous jobs his slave driver of a boss had given him.
"Could you go stand by that wall then?" The woman pointed absent-mindedly to the wall behind Rudeus as she spoke.
"Can do." Without thinking about the circumstances of the weird request, he responded. Before he turned to walk away, Rudeus did note the odd expression on Nanahoshi's face. Was it shock? Or maybe even a twinge of embarrassment? What was that girl thinking at a time like this?
However, by the time he had made it over to the wall, he noticed that Ophelia was already approaching, a relatively confident strut as she did so. Without warning, the woman quickly shot her arm toward him, causing his eyes to slam shut, fearing what he perceived as a sudden attack.
Of course, no attack came. Instead, as Rudeus opened his eyes, he was met with Ophelia's face, dangerously close to his, and a look he could only begin to perceive as—believe it or not, flustered? His legs trembled slightly at where he found himself. There was nowhere he could run as the woman his height had pinned him to the wall with a hand beside his head. Nanahoshi just stared at the two, utterly slack-jawed at the encounter.
It didn't take long for Ophelia to say words that completely fried Rudeus Greyrat's mind. "It would appear I've fallen in love with you, Rudeus Greyrat… So, if you wouldn't mind taking responsibility—" Ophelia paused for a few practically criminal moments. "I'd like to bear your children."
"M-My—" A shock ran through his spine as he heard the woman's voice. Then Rudeus's eyes widened as he felt her chest press up against his. He knew that feeling. He's felt this exact thing from Eris. The feeling of enlightenment. As his body reacted, his mind ran around as he tried to process what he had heard.
"His what?!" The girl the two had practically forgotten about at that moment shouted out from behind them. Nanahoshi's face was completely red as she looked at the two. The whiplash she just received was surely enough to kill any single man, woman, or child, but somehow she pulled through. However, at this point, she wishes she hadn't.
The piercing eyes of Ophelia gazed back at the girl. "Is this not the way to do this?" The question only led to even more shock on the Japanese girl's face.
"Of course not! I said to 'Kabedon' him! Not ask to have his children!" The girl's hands were clenched tight into fists, and her face was so red it seemed like steam would start coming from her ears.
"N-Nana? T-This was you?!" Rudeus looked over to the girl in a panic. The only response he got from her was a weak, apologetic look.
"So what do you say, Rudeus?" Meanwhile, the Dragon God hadn't moved a muscle. Her face was still held firm right next to her subordinates, and even though she had a noticeable slight hue to her cheeks, she didn't look away from his eyes.
"Ahh—" Rudeus was still nowhere close to being able to reason. "G-Give me until tomorrow, o-okay?" His voice shook, and his entire body threatened to give out from underneath him. All he knew was that he needed to escape.
"I'm fine with that." The woman promptly let her arm sink back to her side as she gave the man some breathing room. This was good, wasn't it? She had, at the very least, gotten this far. He didn't even outright reject her, either. So things were going good so far. That's how Ophelia perceived the unbridled chaos happening around her.
"T-Tomorrow it i-is then!" The man practically dashed out the door as soon as he could. As he sprinted out, the front door's slam reverberated across the entire building. A moment later, the office door cracked back open to reveal a confused Aleksander.
"Did something happen to Quagmire?" The usually boisterous young man sounded awfully subdued, but that could be excused considering the sight he had walked in on.
When Ophelia didn't respond to the man and continued looking at the wall where she had Rudeus pinned, not even a minute ago, Nanahoshi decided to step up to the plate. "There was some business that needed to be finished… Come back—tomorrow?" The last part came out slow and forced. The girl hadn't talked to the man much since his employment, but she hoped he'd at least hear her out.
Luckily, the boy shrugged his shoulders with a carefree attitude as he turned back around. "I'll be out mediating then!" With that, the two were left to their lonesome again. The only thing that had changed was the veritable shitstorm that Ophelia had unleashed.
"Did I really do it that poorly?" The Dragon God seemed absolutely flummoxed by what had happened. She had only done what the girl had told her to. Of course, she also made her feelings known to the man, but that's how confessions of love usually go, right?
"Y-You—" Nanahoshi couldn't help but deadpan at the woman infront of her. Even with her knowledge and age, there appeared to be more than a few things she was still an absolute idiot about.
Love just so happened to be one of them.
Rudeus was not faring well on his walk back to his house. The reasons were clear. He had just arrived back from a job. He was gone for around a month. The predicted time his boss had given him was two months, but Rudeus had found a way to swiftly finish it. So, with that, he made his way back to Sharia. Of course, as soon as he arrived back at their headquarters, he had been ambushed by his boss and friend. He didn't know why they were in cahoots, but he knew that if he stayed there any longer than he had, a fuse would've blown somewhere.
"Still… Ophelia likes me? Like that?" The blush on his cheeks grew as he continued walking the cold streets of Sharia. Try as he might to hide his face, he knew some people saw right through his facade. He felt something pang in his chest as he continued to march toward his home.
This feeling…there's absolutely no way it could be that. Even as he walked, he continued to think to himself. The thought that he felt a particular emotion clung to him as his home appeared.
His arrival was met with a few voices, but he didn't respond to them. What he needed to do right now was think. He had to mull over his thoughts and try to piece things together. No matter what, he didn't want a replay of the time Roxy came home that first time.
What am I thinking? It's not like I love Ophelia or anything. Our relationship is purely work-related. I could never fall in love with my boss… There's absolutely no way. Rudeus, while thinking, meandered onto the sofa next to the fireplace in the living room. All he needed to do was just think things through.
"Rudy? Are you okay?" Sylphie was the first person to approach him after his arrival. The look of worry was somewhat evident on her face. She sat beside him as she placed a hand on his leg.
"Oh—I'm fine, Sylphie. Just thinking." Even as he gave her a soft chuckle, the woman looked at him as if to tell him she didn't believe his words. The grip on his leg only tightened.
"You know, Rudy usually makes an uproar when he comes home about which of us he's going to take to bed that night." Of course, Sylphie had other reasons to worry, but when her husband wasn't acting like his usual self, she took it upon herself to understand why. Of course, whenever she did that, she'd more often than not put herself in his crosshairs, but she didn't mind that premise much at all.
It wasn't typical for Rudeus to get home from a job and just go quietly to a corner of the house. The woman's hand on his leg was gripped by the man's. "I was just in for a shock when I returned to the office today… That's all." With a reassuring squeeze of her hand, the woman decided to not pry any further. Rudeus wouldn't lie to her about anything significant, so she was okay with him being evasive.
The woman slowly started pulling away from him, but there was no way Rudeus would let Sylphie get away from him that easily. As quickly as she got up, she was abruptly pulled back into Rudeus's lap and almost immediately accosted by her husband.
"My cute little wife deserves an award for helping me out." The man wasn't going to let Sylphie go that easily.
"Rudy~?! What if the kids see?!" The girl squealed as her husband sniffed at her neck as his hands began to roam over the woman's body. Of course, even if Sylphie voiced her opinion, she wouldn't do anything to escape. She liked the attention. She also didn't necessarily mind the open affection, especially considering the man was typically gone for large swathes of time.
"I'll be careful, promise. I'll make sure the kids don't—" Before Rudeus could go any farther, he was called out to by another.
"You're already back, Rudy?" The woman who walked over to them was Roxy. Accompanied behind her a relatively sweat-free Eris. Roxy's face had a soft, knowing smile, while Eris seemed to look at what her husband was doing to her friend with a quizzical look in her eyes.
Sylphie somehow managed to swat Rudeus away from nibbling on her ear as she spoke. "He just got back not too long ago." Rudeus, however, didn't stop touching his wife even as she spoke. He, however, did take being swatted away as a sign to tone it down a few steps. "Please, Rudy. It's too early for this stuff." Even while being tormented infront of her friends, the woman couldn't help but just give up in the face of her husband.
Abruptly, however, Rudeus's hands stopped as the three women took notice of his changed demeanor. Rudeus had almost forgotten about what he had intended to do. "I actually meant to talk to you three… Tonight, if possible. Just the four of us." Sylphie, Roxy, and Eris quickly looked at each other. Their faces couldn't hold in their flustered thoughts as they did so, turning various shades of red. "Would that work for you all?" Rudeus looked at the three. His face portrayed something the three couldn't entirely discern. What they could tell was that he seemed determined. Which could only mean one thing.
That night, the three wives of Rudeus Greyrat met and convened in Sylphiette's room. From there, they planned their method of attack and decided their roles. Eris would be the frontline attacker, while Sylphie and Roxy would aid her in the rear. If Eris ever needed it, Sylphie would heal her, and if she ever grew tired or weary, the other two would take over, but both of them knew their endurance wasn't the best.
All that was left was the equipment they'd be bringing. Sylphie decided on an innocent-looking green-sleeved nightgown. She knew it would keep the beast at bay long enough for her companions to gain the advantage. Likewise, the Migurdian mage decided to attack with a simple white one-piece while she wore no undergarments underneath. Her plan of attack was straightforward, and if Sylphie's wouldn't buy them enough time, her's undoubtedly would. Finally, Eris stood confidently in her own black gown. It was tight enough that it left nothing to the imagination, and you could see through it with a bit of staring. Their plan of attack was foolproof. This was how they'd go into the battle and face the beast behind the door they stood infront of.
"Ready?" Sylphie's voice was steady but had a slight tone of anticipation.
"Of course." She was met with a curt nod and a faint blush from Roxy next to her.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Eris responded in her usual condescending attitude. Obviously, Sylphie took no offense by her tone. That was just the way the woman spoke.
"Well, I'll see you girls on the other side." With that, Sylphiette turned the knob to the room. Inside was a bed far too large for one person. The light in the room was still on, but the three of them were on high alert.
However, instead of being met with a starving beast, they met a man pouring over his thoughts sitting next to his desk.
When he heard the door open, he turned around. "I'm glad you guys—" The sight infront of Rudeus froze him stiff. For all creative purposes, he hadn't expected this outcome. The sight of the three women he loved more than anything infront of him, seemingly ready to get to business, wasn't something he'd prepared himself for. "Thank you for the meal!" Almost instinctually, his head came down in a bow. It wouldn't be right to not thank the three of them for being so open about this sort of thing. He still remembers how the first time they did anything like that went down.
"So, that wasn't what you were talking about?" Sylphie spoke in a way that almost sounded like she was sad. Was she seriously looking forward to that?
"Sorry?" Rudeus meekly rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at them. Even if he hadn't intended to do anything like that, it didn't mean he wouldn't look. "Regrettably, like I said, I just wanted to talk with you three tonight." His tone was firm, so in a moment, the four found themselves on the bed, sitting beside each other. They could tell that whatever it was, it was important. Of course, it didn't help Rudeus's case whenever his hands roamed to one of the bodies beside him. That only earned him a fist from Eris and a light slap from Sylphiette. Eventually, Roxy sat on the man's lap to ease him, alleviating his groping of Sylphie and Eris. Mainly because he had moved over to her instead.
"Rudy, could you please just tell us already." Seeing everything happening around her, Sylphie decided to speak. She knew Roxy wouldn't complain, nor would she resist, so it wouldn't be long before their husband forgot about whatever was troubling him.
The man snaked his arm out from underneath the girl's gown and sheepishly nodded. "Right, of course—sorry." He bowed slightly, but unsurprisingly, the Migurd woman didn't seem to mind. "It's about the President." The words slipped out of his mouth as the three looked at him uncertainly.
The following words Rudeus would say were ones he knew he'd regret. "Ophelia may have—or may not have confessed to me earlier today." The room became silent with those words, and instead of the semi-erotic atmosphere it previously held, it was replaced with an ominous one.
The first to move was Eris. "I'll kill that harlot!" The woman's face had flared with anger immediately after, but before she sprinted toward the door, Rudeus caught her wrist.
"You know what'll happen if you do that." That sentence told Eris enough. Her memory of their loss to the Dragon God was still evident. None of them could take her in a one-on-one fight. The only person close enough was Rudeus, who would still be utterly defeated even now.
"I figured something like this would happen eventually." Roxy was the one to speak up after Eris. However, even with the conversation, she didn't sound disappointed. "She's a beautiful and kind woman. Personally, I can't see what you like in her, but that's probably just because of her curse." The girl sullenly looked down at her body. "I figured it would only take so long before you got tired of me." Immediately, Rudeus's arms clasped firmly around her body in a tight embrace. To Rudeus, what the woman had said was heretical. Of course, that woman who said it was his god, so in this case, it was only right to reflect the false statement.
"I could never get tired of your body, Roxy!" His grip tightened as his breathing grew ragged. "Do I need to reaffirm my faith right now?" The mention of his faith flew under the radar of the women.
"No, you're fine, Rudy. Sorry." The question didn't seem much like a question to the woman, but she nonetheless turned him down.
Rudeus calmed after as a tap was felt on his shoulder. "You know my goal was to kill the Dragon God, right, Rudeus?" Eris spoke clearly, unlike her usual boisterous and brash tone. It seemed even she was being reeled into the atmosphere. "The Dragon God almost killed you… I didn't want to see that happen again, so I left to train… I trained so we could beat her if we ever went up against her again." The girl's voice was resolute.
Rudeus could understand her point of view. Ophelia had undoubtedly killed him in the mountains when he was younger, but he was willing to keep that in the past. Eris most likely wasn't. Even if he was confused about what to do, Rudeus knew he could trust the people he loved. That's why he needed to hear their opinions on this. So that he could decide what to do, and if Eris didn't like it, then— "But that wasn't the reason I left. I wanted to stand next to you. To protect you." The girl held a sentimental look on her face. "Now that you're allies, she's no longer a threat." The girl's face settled on a satisfied grin. "At the very least, I beat her in fucking you." That was what she was leading up to? All of that sentimental speech to get to that? Well, it is Eris, after all.
"You won't blow up at me for even thinking about it? Maybe punch me a couple of times and leave me in a pool of blood?" He pointed to himself.
"I thought about it, but you're you…" She shrugged. "I knew it was going to happen eventually." Great, so none of his wives had any hope for him. He felt like he was dragging his face through the mud right now.
With that, everyone turned to the person who hadn't spoken yet. The person that would be the deciding factor. "What do you think about Ophelia, Rudy?" Rudeus, with a shiver of fear going down his spine, only found it proper to crawl onto the ground and bow down to the woman, so that's exactly what he did. The woman would usually frantically make him stand up, but she did nothing of the sort now.
"I respect her as a person. She's hard-working and never forgets things. She's always taking care of the slack I can't pick up, and without her, I wouldn't be able to live the life I do now. I wouldn't have the family I do." Ordinary people would cringe at a man confessing his love for another woman infront of his wife, but at this point, Rudeus Greyrat had already done so twice.
That fact didn't make it feel any better, however.
"As a woman, however, I can't help but admire her. She's a good person. She's caring but has an awkward way of speaking. No one can read her, but I don't find it hard. No matter how hard it gets, she never stops moving, not for the last twenty thousand years, at least, but now she has me." He looked up at Sylphie, her face having a sweet smile that Rudeus knew was just her way of saying she wasn't all that pleased. "Sylphie, it appears I fell in love with Ophelia… I'm sorry." A tense air hung over the room as Sylphie glared down at her husband, sitting infront of her on his knees.
"You're lucky I love you more than anything, Rudy." The woman let out a sigh.
"Is it really fine? I mean, I'm just going back on my word again." The man looked up to his wife, who looked back at him with a disappointed gleam in her eyes.
"Rudy is a hopeless pervert and a fickle man," Sylphie stated. "But I can tell she loves you, and that's enough for me. I already decided how to handle this if it ever came up." The woman very evidently has absolutely zero faith in her husband's fidelity. This was understandable, considering she was sitting beside his two other wives. "This is the last one—no more chances, Rudy." Sylphie had stomped her foot down, and all Rudeus could do was comply. He had to be the luckiest man in the world to have such a considerate wife.
The room's atmosphere finally grew calm again, and Rudeus sighed. The topic Rudeus had been dreading drudging up had now been passed, but the calm was cut off when Sylphie spoke again. "I want to watch." That was all she said. She spoke in a very intelligible voice so none of them could mishear.
Roxy's face contorted into shock, Eris's turned bright red at the embarrassment at the prospect, and Rudeus sat infront of the three, absolutely befuddled. "Huh?" The elf continued to sit there as if nothing had happened. "You mean that, right?" She nodded. "Can I ask why?"
"As your wife, I take it as my duty to assert the order of things." With that, Rudeus didn't pry any further. He felt that if he did, he'd only piss off his darling of a wife even more than she already was. If there was anything in this world that he was scared of, it was most certainly an angry Sylphie.
With their talk seemingly ending, Rudeus propped himself up and laid on his bed as the three started going to the door. He figured it would turn out like this. He'd have to be lucky to get anything from the three in the next month. It looked like he was going to be celibate for a while.
Or at least that's what he thought until the three walked back toward him.
A coy grin crossed Sylphie's lips as she looked at her husband. "We think Rudy deserves some punishment for being the womanizer you are." The two beside her nodded in agreement. "Eris, can you go get that aphrodisiac and the tools?" The redhead, without so much as an argument, ran out of the room. As she did so, Sylphie and Roxy approached him as they sat on the bed next to him. Rudeus could tell where this was going but didn't know how far the three would take it. The two looked at each other and, in a moment, leaned in close to him in unison. "We're going to make sure you're all nice and drained." Sylphie and Roxy's hands moved down Rudeus's body when they whispered into his ears in tandem.
For the first time in a decade, Rudeus lost all self-control. It goes without saying that he didn't get much sleep that night.
The Dragon God was getting worried. She thought it would be a simple thing. It was turning out that it wasn't.
It wasn't like the woman to stress this much over something as trivial as an emotion. Still, it was happening so fast for Ophelia, who'd never experienced this. The Dragon God had never once experienced anything like love before. Not once during her arduous journey had something like this popped up.
Yet again, Rudeus Greyrat made her feel things she hadn't supposed possible, yet another unknown presented itself. How did she want to go through with this? It was getting in the way of her work. Something that couldn't be allowed to happen. So, she deemed it necessary to be rid of the problem entirely. With the help of Nanahoshi, she laid her feelings bare.
However, it appeared she made a misstep along the way. Apparently, it wasn't normal to bring up the subject of copulation with a confession. Ophelia found that weird. Wasn't the innate purpose of relationships and intercourse to bring a child into the world? That's how she'd always thought about it, at least. But now, even that felt weird—wrong. After seeing Rudeus interact with his wives, the Dragon God realized something.
She wanted to be treated like that as well. Cared for… Loved. Ophelia wanted what Sylphiette, Roxy, and Eris had. She also wanted the love of Rudeus Greyrat.
At this point, you could consider the Dragon God a hopeless case. Without even realizing it, she had fallen hopelessly in love with a human man along her journey in this timeline. However, no matter what outcome Ophelia thought up, she was always denied. Her love wasn't something she could expect to be reciprocated. She understood this, but it still hurt, but she could manage the pain for the sake of her mission.
A knock on the door resounded throughout the office. "Are you in, Boss?" While quiet, his muffled voice was loud enough to be heard from the other side of the door. She could tell who it was just by the tone.
Her breath hitched. She wanted to tell him to come in without a pause, but she felt her heart race. She cast a saint-ranked detoxification spell in a moment, but it did nothing. What was happening to her wasn't something she could solve by simply casting a spell.
With no other escape, Ophelia steeled her resolve. She had been through far more dangerous things than this. She could handle this. "You can come in, Rudeus." Her voice, luckily, still held the same stern tone it always had. At the very least, she could rely on her demeanor to hide her emotions.
The doorknob turned, and when it swung open, it revealed Rudeus in all his usual glory. He wore the same old robe and hairstyle; he even shaved the stubble from yesterday, but now he held a slight blush across his cheeks.
When she saw him, Ophelia realized she wasn't ready to deal with this. Just seeing the man now made her feel exceptionally awkward for some reason, like no matter what, she had to find some way to escape this room. She'd felt this before. It was like she was slowly being cornered. But this time, it was by the person she'd grown feelings for. Not by one of her enemies.
It felt strangely right.
"I've come to give my answer." The man, while being flustered, seemed slightly out of it. Almost as if he was exhausted. Or like he had gotten little sleep. Ophelia couldn't discern the reason. All she could tell was that the man smelled incredibly fragrant today.
He was fidgeting, but she knew what his answer would be.
She had already resigned herself to fate. "I understand, Rudeus. Sorry for putting you through that. I can understand your loved ones' worries—" Before she could turn away from the man, her hand was taken into his.
"They said it'd be okay." Rudeus stared at her with an emotion she couldn't discern. It didn't feel fair to her. She knew he could read her like an open book, but whenever he wanted to hide his emotions, she couldn't so much as discern if he was happy or sad.
However, Ophelia had reason to believe he was happy. What with the slight smile on his lips and all. "As your subordinate, I respect you. No matter how difficult a job is, you always see it through. No matter how much of a pain I am, you always help me out… You even go out of your way to make sure my family is safe while I'm gone… For that, I can never thank you enough." The man looked at her with such honest sincerity that it almost made the woman anxious. She had expected him to immediately hit her with the cold truth, but now he was saying these things. Was he trying to play this from a different angle? When she thought that, she remembered who she was currently dealing with. When it came to matters like these, Rudeus was always forward. He wouldn't normally tiptoe his way around these kinds of subjects.
"You really don't have to pity—" She tried to pry herself from the man's grip but found no strength. The woman couldn't escape the man's hands. Not because she couldn't but it felt like her body didn't want to separate from him. She didn't want to lose that warmth.
"I'm not pitying you, Ophelia. As a man… I love you!" The declaration made her ears ring. "As a man, I find you attractive. I love how you work. I love it whenever you make little quips at whatever I do. It's refreshing to see you try to be more open nowadays. I love how you try your best at everything." The man's blush only seemed to grow as he spoke, and as he continued to speak and say his words of affection toward the woman, she only found her heart beating faster as well.
Rudeus watched as her face became red. Even though he could tell she was trying to hold it together, her demeanor slowly started to crack as she tried desperately to hide her face in any way she could. Seeing his boss become so flustered was new. He found the sight unraveling infront of his eyes cute—borderline adorable. It felt like he was committing a crime seeing her like this. Indeed, it was a face only he could see. One that only he could give the Dragon God.
"But I don't know what you could see in someone like me." Rudeus had thought about what to say to her. Of course, he had to live through the previous night to be here, but he thought about this conversation when he could.
"You're the only man who isn't affected by my curse, Rudeus. It couldn't be anyone other than you." The woman's voice was unnaturally quiet. Her face was pointed downward, so the man couldn't see what kind of expression he was making, but judging from how red her ears were, he could only assume that her face was still painted red.
"I'm not that great of a guy… I'm a womanizer. Even now, I'm confessing to you, and I already have three wives. I'm hardly worthy of love. At this point, my fidelity is basically as good as dirt. Even if I am immune to your curse, I'm sure better men would be out there." Her face looked up to him, but instead of finding it red, she held a stony, stern expression, just like the usual one she wore.
"I'm sorry, but is this where I should confess?" She turned her head slightly as if to question the man infront of her. It seemed the woman had initially been swept up in the atmosphere and had almost forgotten to say her piece. For Rudeus, he found the gap far too strong.
"If you want to, sure." His weak and shaky response was met with a nod.
"If I had to guess, I think I began to fall in love with you when you looked at me after our fight. It was the first time I ever felt like a woman."
"After our fight?" He had no idea where the woman was going.
"When you saw my chest." The woman gave a little nod down to her bosom as she spoke. That did little to make Rudeus feel any better about this situation.
"I'm sorry about that." The only thing that remained now was guilt that the first time she ever felt like a woman was being ogled at by a half-dead pervert.
"Think nothing of it… I quite like the memory." The woman's lips were pulled up into an awkward grin. It was hardly different from her usual face, but Rudeus could read her easily enough.
"That still doesn't excuse the fact that the first time you were treated as a woman was being perved on by a man you barely knew."
"But I know him now." The woman quickly shot back as if to silence him. "You're strong, Rudeus, not in a way like others, but in your connections. You change people so easily. You've done more for me than I've ever been able to do by myself. Because of you, I have a chance this time." Ophelia's lips slowly pulled into a smile.
An honest-to-god smile. One that Rudeus had never thought he'd see on her face. "It's nothing much, but in the short time I've known you, I've even found myself changing. You've given me a life I could never have dreamed of." Her thumbs rubbed slow circles in his palms. "So, at the very least, I'd like you to allow me to love you." Her face held a sincerity to it that he hadn't known possible. The only plausible reaction to Rudeus was to pull the woman close into a hug. She squirmed slightly at the abrupt motion but settled as she placed her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her solid but thin arms around him.
They stood there for a while. Even though the two hadn't fully conveyed the depth of their feelings, they knew the answer of the other was obvious. So, instead, they just stood there with their arms wrapped around one another.
"You know, if you still can't forgive yourself for that time, I wouldn't mind a payment for recompense." The woman's voice tickled the man's ears as she spoke, never moving away from their embrace as she did so.
"Anything." The man's answer, while brash, wasn't necessarily wrong either. If Ophelia was to become family, he'd do anything for her. He'd do anything for his family.
"Then I'd like a kiss." The woman's face moved back to look at him. Her face was noticeably redder than when they had initiated their hug. Likewise, Rudeus wasn't faring any better. Of course, he wasn't some virgin that would be done in by a simple kiss. He'd done far riskier things. Just the other night, he—actually, it was best to not ruin the moment with those thoughts.
"Sure, of course." He readily agreed.
The woman's face only grew more flustered as he pulled himself in. When their lips touched, it was nothing too special. It was just a simple, chaste kiss. There were no fireworks or big displays. Of course, there wouldn't be. Even if the two of them were alone in the office, it felt special nonetheless. It was their confirmation to the other.
Rudeus pulled away from her and held her hands with renewed strength as if he thought she would leave if he let her go. "Will you marry me, Ophelia?" The moment the Dragon God was going to open her mouth and respond, the creak of a door could be heard.
"Sorry, am I interruptin' something? Didn't mean to ruin the moment." Suddenly, a voice called out to them, and the two jumped as they looked at the door.
There stood Aleksander. You'd see an expression like he had on a person who walked in on their parents having sex. At some point during their moment, he had stepped in and politely waited for them to finish. The only reason neither noticed the man was their extreme focus on the other.
The two were stunned by his appearance. The only one that wasn't was Alek, as he briskly pointed his thumb to the doorway. "I'll just leave." True to his words, the man started to make his brisk exit.
"Wait, Aleksander Ryback." Ophelia, in her usual tone, called out to the man. Causing him to stop dead in his tracks from his exit. He looked back at her with eyes that screamed he thought he was in trouble. "Rudeus and I are getting married. I'd like it if you wouldn't let this bother your work." Of course, she was thinking of the practicality of their situation. Even now, she was the ever-reliable president that Rudeus knew.
Almost as if he was stunned by the reveal, Alek quickly pointed his finger at the both of them, darting between them as he did so. "You're telling me you weren't already?" To say the two were left speechless would be an understatement. Neither of them—especially Ophelia was able to respond to that claim. "I always thought something was happening behind the scenes with how you two acted. You know, with how you guys always looked at each other." The man had apparently come to his own conclusion in his time working beneath the two. Who would've thought the naive North God had been the most perceptive here?
"I actually just proposed… So we kind of just started." Rudeus's face was still beet red. No matter how often he did it, confessing to someone and laying all your heart out infront of them was never a relaxing ordeal.
"Well, you won't get any objections from me!" The black-haired man waved his hand as if to blow away Rudeus's words. "I figured that if anyone ought to marry the President, it'd have to be you. The only one that deserves her is Rudeus of the Quagmire!" He seemed awfully jovial at that moment. Was it because he confirmed his suspicions finally? Or maybe he was happy to see two important people tie the knot. The exact answer evaded Rudeus's mind.
"We'll I'll leave you two lovebirds to it!" The man walked out the door and closed it behind them without so much as a misstep.
For a moment, the two looked at each other. Then, after another moment, quiet laughter broke out between the two—well, it did for Rudeus. Of course, Ophelia offered a few short giggles, but they were happy that it breezed over without issue.
With the two left alone again, they resumed the embrace they had previously had. The awkward nature between the two quickly lost any meaning as they spent longer together. "If you want, we could have a reception as early as next week… That is if you want one." The fact that Rudeus had cleared the air with his family definitely made any preparations significantly quicker.
"I'd rather not." She shook her against the crook of his neck. "It'd be a shame to have something thrown at me on my wedding day." Was she cracking jokes? How long would it be until she made fun of him at his expense? Well, not that Rudeus would care. He's already relegated to the unfaithful husband category.
"How did they react?" Even if Ophelia left it vague, he knew what she meant.
"They were against it at first, but it smoothed over." The last night went far more straightforward than he expected, but there were still moments he worried it could've worsened. "But they were fairly accepting after a while. At the very least, they were indifferent." He didn't want to disappoint the woman like this, but it wouldn't do the relationship between the four of them any good to lie. At the most, Rudeus hoped they could come to common ground and work around her curse at some point.
"That's good to hear." Ophelia, however, seemed to not mind. Instead, there was a sense that she was relieved with the outcome. Silence fell on them as the day's weight finally lifted off their shoulders. Oddly enough, it wasn't even noon yet.
"I'll do my best as a husband." As Rudeus spoke, he gently rubbed Ophelia's back. He didn't know what boundaries he didn't dare cross yet, so he decided being careful was best. Of course, he was getting more than his fill by just holding the woman close to him like this. "I don't know how well I'll do, but I promise to do my best to give you the other thing you mentioned." What he meant by that was very clear.
Ophelia remembered the previous day in a moment and quickly buried her face even deeper into his neck, almost as if to protest. "Also, it seems Sylphie won't let you off the hook that quickly, so she kinda mentioned—" He would regret saying this. "Watching." The woman froze in his embrace. "So you should probably be prepared for that." The way Sylphie acted last night was nothing like he had seen before. The thought of what she intended to do when the time came only made him wince slightly.
Not that he wouldn't enjoy whatever it was.
Ophelia responded with a nod. The blush on her cheeks only grew brighter as she did so. Though Rudeus was confident that he looked worse.
That was how Rudeus Greyrat officially married the Dragon God Ophelia.
Authors Note: I don't have much to say about this. I cooked it up while mulling over my thoughts for the other story I'm writing. I wrote this only because I couldn't get the idea out of my head. Anyway, I have a rough idea for the following two chapters for this, but you shouldn't expect them soon. I have other things to write about and life to worry about. However, you can guess what the next chapter will be about. This chapter is left where it is for a reason.
Anyway, feedback is, as always, appreciated. Thank you for reading.
