Chapter 45: Why am I bandaged?

Chapter 45: Why am I bandaged? The stalker incident wrapped up quickly after Arthur defeated Noah. It seemed Nathira and his mother had pulled some strings, because the principal’s explanation was that a student had initiated a duel without following proper protocol and was, therefore, placed in detention. Lysandra had also told Noah’s family the truth, but since he belonged to a powerful race and their son was clearly at fault, there was nothing they could do. Classes had started like usual; however, Arthur couldn’t go anywhere because Lysandra had informed the school that he wasn’t feeling well after Noah’s sneak attack. To make the lie more believable, they wrapped him from head to toe in bandages. "Say ah..." Arthur opened his mouth wide as Isabella fed him a spoonful of pasta. All his wives surrounded him, watching like he was genuinely hurt. Even Anna was there, and for some reason, her hair and eye color had changed. From black and green to black with purple underdye, and her eyes now shimmered with a green that resembled crystalline blue under certain angles. Eric, Cale, Vicky, Nari, Ravian, and even Naza had come to visit him during that time. "Why am I still bandaged? I feel like the six of you just enjoy seeing me wrapped up like a mummy," Arthur complained as Isabella forced another spoon into his mouth. "It’s for your own good, husband," Nathira said from his other side, offering him a cup of water. "I win!" Ellie’s shout of victory made everyone turn toward her. Ellie sat across from Cassie, a deck of cards scattered between them. Cassie clicked her tongue, clearly irritated. "How did I lose again?" She glared at Ellie. "You’re cheating, right? Just admit it—you’re cheating." Anna tapped Cassie’s shoulder. "Cassie, never bet. Ever." Cassie looked like she was about to cry. "Ellie, tell them you cheated. Please! I can be good at gambling too!" She ruffled her hair in frustration, then turned to Arthur. "Husband, she cheated, right?" Arthur scoffed. "You only call me husband when you want something." The girls, except Cassie, laughed softly. Amelia, who was lying between Arthur’s legs, tilted her head up so their eyes would meet. "You and Isabella have your first dungeon class next week, right?" Arthur nodded. Tomorrow marked the start of a new week, meaning most of the tests had been completed. Some students, swayed by sweet words, had changed courses, while others remained where they were. Nathira exhaled sharply through her nose. "I heard from the teachers that it’ll be tougher than last year since you guys are supposedly the ’generation of miracles.’" Amelia pondered for a moment. "Hey Anna, Cassie, which dungeon did we enter last year?" Cassie responded almost instantly. "Class C went to the Vine Grove Dungeon." Anna nodded, sinking deeper into the single white couch. "Yeah, and we went to the Beast Golem Dungeon." "Aren’t those C-rank dungeons?" Ellie asked, visibly interested. Amelia nodded. "Yeah, they were. But if what Unnie said is true, then both you and husband will be heading into either a B-rank or, worse, an A-rank dungeon." Arthur swallowed hard. A B-rank dungeon usually had a boss equivalent to a low- to high-level Graduator-ranked knight or a yellow core mage. An A-rank dungeon, however, could house a boss at the level of a low- to high-level Master or golden core mage. If it was the former, Arthur was confident he could manage, since his full power was close to a high-level Graduator, almost touching Master rank. But if it was the latter, he was in trouble. He sighed. "Let’s not think about that. Even if the principal’s crazy, she can’t possibly send us to an A-rank dungeon, right?" Cassie, Amelia, and Anna turned away silently. "Why aren’t you saying anything?" he asked. Amelia sighed. "That woman’s a complete psychopath." Cassie shuddered slightly. "Every time she comes up with something, it ends in disaster." Arthur mulled it over, then addressed Ellie. "Ellie, please stay close to me during the dungeon raid." Ellie nodded. "Okay..." Isabella clapped her hands. "That’s enough doom talk. I feel like you guys are purposefully leaving me out." Arthur nodded in agreement. Even if he couldn’t handle it alone, it was always supposed to be a joint class. Ellie, Eric, Cale, Vicky, Ravian, Nari, and even Naza were all in his faction and members of Class S, so with them around, there wasn’t too much to worry about. "Now..." Isabella said with a mischievous grin. Before Arthur could react, she wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him. The other girls stared, stunned, even Nathira, who had been about to set down a cup, paused mid-motion. Isabella leaned into him, making them both topple onto the bed. Her lips didn’t leave his. After a minute, she pulled away. "That was satisfying." Amelia’s face turned crimson. "Why’d you do that, Isabella? You were the one who said we shouldn’t touch husband today." Isabella tilted her head, still lying on top of him. "When did I say that?" Anna muttered under her breath, drawing all eyes. "I want a kiss too." She quickly looked away as Ellie leapt onto the bed and kissed Arthur, pushing Isabella aside to claim space on his chest. Cassie shouted, "Why are you guys kissing!?" They turned to her, heads tilting in sync. Ellie asked, "Senior Cassie, don’t tell me you’ve never kissed husband before?" Cassie’s face turned beet red. "Why would I kiss that idiot? And I’m not the only one who hasn’t!" The girls stared at her blankly. Cassie gestured like she was telling them to calm down. "Wait, am I the only one who hasn’t gotten kissed yet?" They all nodded in unison. Cassie looked like she might burst into tears. "Why? Is it because I’m not pretty enough?" Nathira patted her head. "Don’t worry. Husband will kiss you today. We’ll spend plenty of time with him tonight." Arthur blinked. "Hell no." They turned to him, stunned. "Arthur, what do you mean by that?" Isabella asked. Ellie chimed in. "Don’t you want to do naughty things with us?" Arthur shivered, then shook his head. "Of course I do, but even I don’t have the stamina to handle all of you at once." Nathira frowned. "But aren’t you the greedy man who wanted all of us?" Arthur scratched his cheek. "Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can take all of you on the same night." He pointed at Nathira. "You look like you’d suck the life out of someone worse than a succubus, and I don’t even know how I’m supposed to deal with your thousand-year-long virginity." Nathira’s face flushed. He turned to Isabella. "You already know with the way you move at work, you’d be wild in bed, and you’ve got an insatiable appetite." She gasped. He looked at Amelia. "Amy, you’re really sweet." He narrowed his eyes. "But I know what kind of woman you’d be in bed." Then to Cassie. "And you? You act just like those naughty girls from erotic manga. Want to know what they all have in common?" She shook her head, teary-eyed. Arthur said firmly, "They never get tired, and they can never be satisfied." He turned to Anna and shook his head. "Only the gods can solve your case." "Husband..." Anna muttered, looking away. Finally, his gaze fell on Ellie, who stared at him innocently. "With your slender figure, I don’t know what you’d do to my body." He released a bit of mana, loosening his bandages. "So, what I’m saying is, I can’t handle six dangerous women at the same time." A stunned silence followed as the girls sat there, faces bright red. Arthur nodded to himself, satisfied that his point had landed. After a long pause, Nathira asked, "Then after the dungeon raid, you’ll do it with us. Two per night." Arthur looked at her, then the others, each of them giving him hopeful eyes. He felt something rising in him, an urge to start right then and there, but he held himself back. If he dared now, he’d probably be hospitalized for months after just two days. He finally nodded. "Okay, I agree." Their faces lit up. Cassie, her body swaying slightly, asked, "Then can I get a kiss before that?" Isabella smiled and pulled her from the edge of the bed. Startled by the sudden motion, she tumbled onto Arthur. She could feel his breath, and he could feel hers. Her vision blurred as a hot sensation welled up inside her. She leaned in and kissed him. Arthur wrapped his arms around her waist, their lips moving in sync. She gasped for air but didn’t want to pull away. ’His lips taste so good and they’re soft too,’ she mused, leaning in further. Ellie frowned and pulled her back. "That’s enough for you." Cassie looked at her, dazed, then collapsed on the bed like she’d just downed a bottle of strong liquor. Arthur could feel it from the others too—they wanted a kiss too. ’Damn... having six wives isn’t as easy as it seems.’ ─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───