We remained at the Duke House estate.
There was a venue of just the right size, and since the planet was conveniently close to the Imperial Capital, we stayed there for a while. During that time, we focused on marriage hunting and territorial management.
The girls were far more decisive than those idiot boys.
Having completely written off the males after that Ugly Contest, they moved quickly to settle on marriage partners. Some of the panicked boys tried to make last-minute confessions to the girls they had their eyes on... but it was too late.
They were soundly rejected; their love never bore fruit.
Even established couples had broken up... I made a mental note to live my life in a way that wouldn't earn the girls' ire.
"Why is Leo, who's acting like a Harem King, so popular with the girls?!"
The boys grumbled and complained.
So, I told them straight.
"Probably because I wasn't involved in the Ugly Contest."
I had merely been excluded, but the fact that I hadn't participated was a massive advantage.
"Plus, I'm a man of power!"
Pfft, tee-hee!
"I'll overthrow you! Waaaaaaaah!"
The idiots ran off crying. Gwahahaha! How amusing, how amusing!!!
Now, about Megumi Okita.
She was the girl those fools had mocked as a "chicken-bone woman."
But isn't she sexy now?
Putting my personal tastes aside, Megumi Okita had evolved.
"Heh heh heh!"
Whether it was thanks to a healthy lifestyle and muscle training or the effect of big meals, Okita had filled out. Even so, her original state was what it was, so she was only at a normal level now.
...No, she wasn't just at a normal level.
She had developed an incredible figure. If Melissa had the physique of a model, Okita was like a gravure idol. She lost to Kevin, but she had a magnificent... chest. And backside. Her face, which had been gaunt, now looked healthy.
Having gained confidence herself, she was working hard at marriage hunting. Apparently, she was going to take a groom from a samurai Marquis House.
"I'm grateful to you, Leo-kun. Back then... I gained confidence because you said those things to me."
Then, she punched me in the chest.
"But that was sexual harassment!"
"I am terribly sorry for my behavior at the time..."
I apologized honestly. I had been doing whatever I wanted when I thought I was facing death. But then I went and survived.
"It's fine. I don't have the confidence to marry you, Leo-kun, but I'll be working as your subordinate from now on, so I look forward to it!"
"I look forward to working with you too!"
What was that about? It didn't feel like something she needed to say so suddenly. It wasn't like I had confessed to her.
Feeling a bit puzzled, I brought it up while eating with my wifey at dinner.
"Oh, that story. I suggested to Okita that she join the harem, but she turned me down."
"...I'd appreciate it if you'd at least check with me first."
"Rejected. It seems Okita felt she couldn't win against us, so she decided to step back."
Since it was her own decision, that was fine. As long as she was happy, it was all good. There was no need to compete in the first place...
Thinking that, I looked at my wives. Wifey was a beauty to begin with. Melissa had become gorgeous. Claire was a beauty who looked a bit down on her luck. Ren was adorable no matter what anyone said. Any Imperial who didn't understand the appeal of cat ears was just wrong!
Moving to the non-wife category: Kyoko-chan had been sent as a wifey candidate, but I didn't know her own intentions. Nina-san was sexy. No matter what anyone said, she was sexy! As for Kevin, I would remain silent.
As those days continued, that bastard Edge dropped a bomb.
"I'm marrying Alyssa."
"Oof!"
The scenario had completely collapsed. Edge had decided to marry Alyssa. However, since they were minors in the Empire, they were going to wait until they reached adulthood.
This news sent the idiot boys into a panic.
"Waaaaaaaah!!! Edge beat us to the punch!!!"
No, it wouldn't be hard for you guys to get married either if you weren't so picky. Complaining about not wanting someone older or not wanting a wife who seemed stronger than you—you're too loud. What's wrong with an older wife with rock-hard abs? She'll do muscle training with you.
That said, they were still teenagers with dreams. They made a big fuss over a stray eyebrow hair or a slight bit of bedhead... yeah, it was definitely your own fault. Reflect on your actions.
Now, leaving the idiots aside, the graduate students were desperately serious. They were fine as long as they could get married. Both the men and women were filled with a grim determination. In the first place, they were stalwarts who had devoted themselves so much to their studies that they didn't even recognize a romantic encounter when they saw one. If their families had been wealthy, they probably would have gone to a normal university. But they couldn't give up on their academics. They had long since given up on marriage.
Those very same people had hit the jackpot in my squad and were now lords of their own castles. Following wifey's orders without complaint, they faced the situation with unshakable resolve.
...And they got married easily!
Since they weren't exactly a hardcore combat squad, many of them entered the other party's clan as grooms or brides, but even so, they were able to secure marriage partners with incredibly good conditions. The fact that they were Counts didn't change; only their family name changed. Life was easier this way.
The boys were gnashing their teeth. Ah, if only they hadn't held that Ugly Contest. They could have had a youth like an eroge. It was fine, wasn't it? Just throw away the Pure Love Route and aim to be a Briefs Mob Old Man.
"Noooooooo!"
Shut up.
Just as I was getting bored of playing at the beach under the guise of training, a piece of news arrived.
"My Lord, we have discovered traces of the Galactic Republic."
The steward brought some documents.
"For real?"
"Yes, we conducted an investigation as Lady Veronica commanded. There were undiscovered ruins."
"Call wifey!!!"
Wifey arrived, dressed in a swimsuit. Apparently, she had been swimming in the indoor pool rather than the sea.
"Oh, that story. Since this was Sato land, I just thought that if they had contact with the Zork, it would be on this planet. I didn't expect it to belong to the Galactic Republic, though..."
Apparently, it had just been a hunch.
"What are we going to do?"
"We have no choice but to investigate, do we? Lord Groom, organize an investigation team."
"Alrighty."
And so, a field trip was about to be carried out.
Surely nothing else would come out of this.
Everyone, feel free to bring whatever snacks you like.