Chapter 167: Love Rival

She believed that there must be quite a few elves within the clan responding to her call now, but she didn't know exactly how many, among them how many had outstanding aptitude, and how many other princesses were willing.

"This…", Kaede was speechless. She thought Iris would be troubled by her own problems, but didn't expect her to have no concerns in this regard at all.

A dignified elf princess, actually able to casually fall in love with an ordinary household like theirs? Even taking the initiative to pursue Hachiman?

Now this was troublesome. Before, she felt no one would fancy Hachiman with his dead-fish eyes and shut-in lifestyle, even if someone did, they surely wouldn't be excellent, so she felt no pressure at all.

Even knowing Hachiman had started a Service club full of girls and had decent luck with women recently, she wasn't that nervous.

Now that she personally heard from elf princess Iris that she wanted to pursue Hachiman, she truly panicked.

Facing the elf princess, even adding Suzu, she didn't have much of an advantage. The elf princess's bodyguards alone had looks and figures that were top-notch.

However, Kaede thought of how she had already been taken by Hachiman, and even her little sister Suzu was taken by Hachiman too, and she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

'In this situation, I shouldn't still be overtaken on the curve by Iris, right?'

After so many years since childhood, although she was speechless at Hachiman's dream of being a househusband, she still trusted his character very much. Hachiman wouldn't do something like loving the new and forgetting the old.

"Actually, I know that Kaede, you and the president are childhood friends, and I also know you like the president," Iris continued slowly.

"Uh…", Kaede widened her eyes, looking at Iris in disbelief.

'You knew and still said these things to my face, are you deliberately messing with me?'

"But I heard the president say he couldn't accept my pursuit because your condition for allowing him to have a harem was that all the girls in the Service club had to accept him," Iris said this and winked at Hachiman, who looked like he wanted to speak, signaling him not to rush.

She and the president had heart-to-heart talks every day, learning deeply about each other. Naturally, the condition Kaede made for him to have a harem was also mentioned to her.

However, she hadn't found the right time to tell everyone until today when she saw the way Gabriel, Vignette, and even Tsubaki looked at the president, and decided to speak openly at the dining table.

As for herself, she didn't mind. Aid with the president could happen anywhere, as long as the soundproofing and invisibility barriers were activated, even if they ran to Kaede's room, they wouldn't wake her.

But what about the others? If the others also had feelings for the president, then with so many people, they definitely couldn't avoid Kaede.

They gathered at the president's home every day to eat together, and couldn't keep dodging the topic. Being upfront with Kaede about wanting to pursue the president was the best approach.

"All the girls in the Service club?", Gabriel was stunned. This didn't match what she understood at all.

'Wasn't he already a depraved lost cause? How did it turn into wanting a harem?'

'And he wants to sweep up all the girls in the Service club, this is way too degenerate!'

"Yes, it includes Rurikawa-san and Vignette. Only if everyone accepts the president, Kaede will allow him to have a harem," Iris smiled and nodded, glancing at Vignette and Tsubaki, who hadn't joined the Service club.

"???", Vignette was also dumbfounded, 'Is this for real?'

They originally thought Iris would self-destruct by revealing the aid thing, never expecting it would affect them too.

Whether Hachiman had a harem had nothing to do with them.

Why did they also have to accept Hachiman for him to be allowed a harem?

"...", Tsubaki, who had long known from Hachiman's mouth that Kaede allowed him to have a harem, looked at the equally shocked and incredulous Vignette and Raphiel. Her indifferent, beautiful face twitched imperceptibly at the corner of her mouth, unsure how to express her current feelings.

The pretty girls around Hachiman were ridiculously many, and Kaede's idea was equally ridiculous, actually making a bet with Hachiman on such terms...

Now she didn't even know how to explain her relationship with Hachiman.

Although it was due to an uncontrollable accident, that matter had ended, and only the result remained now.

Anyway… no matter what, she couldn't possibly self-destruct like Iris. Unless Kaede personally asked her, she might say something, but that just seemed impossible.

"What's wrong? Why is everyone silent?", Seeing Kaede, Gabriel, Vignette, and Tsubaki all speechless, Iris's smile didn't fade, as if she had just mentioned something insignificant.

"This condition is just a difficult requirement Kaede made for the president's harem, not that Kaede truly wants the president to pursue all of you."

"...", Hearing Iris's words, the expressions of Gabriel, Vignette, and Tsubaki became even more complicated.

If it were just an impossible condition, that would be fine, but each of them knew their relationship with Hachiman wasn't that simple, they couldn't face it openly.

Gabriel thought Hachiman fell for her at first sight, and she was the cause of Hachiman's depravity.

Vignette knew Hachiman had fallen and might really have special feelings for her now.

As for Tsubaki, no need to mention, everything that should've happened had already happened. If Hachiman wasn't Kaede's childhood friend, with her personality, she'd definitely demand Hachiman marry her. But she was the latecomer, the third party inserting herself between Kaede and Hachiman, so she had no way to speak.

"...You guys don't really like Hachiman, do you?", Kaede, who originally thought everyone would reject the idea of Hachiman having a harem and make him give up, now looked at the strange expressions on everyone's faces, feeling more and more that something was off, and asked incredulously.

Iris being an elf princess was understandable. She came from another world, with a different worldview. But what's going on with them all, Vignette and the others?

Vignette just moved into the apartment next door not long ago, right?

Gabriel only recently transferred into Hachiman's class, right?

Tsuabki always worked with her in the student council and didn't have time to interact with Hachiman at all!?

When did Hachiman become so popular? Making them like him in such a short time? It can't really be love at first sight.

"Kaede, don't misunderstand. Actually, we just didn't expect Hachiman-kun would want a harem, and you even included Vignette, Gabriel, and even your bestie Tsuabki-san in the betting condition. Isn't that clearly asking Hachiman-kun to pursue them?", Raphiel's mouth curled with an uncontrollable smile, gently comforting Kaede.

"They've never been in love either. It's normal to hesitate and not know how to respond to this topic."

Among those at the dining table, the only one unaffected by the bet between Kaede and Hachiman about the harem, and not exposed by Iris's self-bomb about inner thoughts, and even in a cheerful mood, was probably only Raphiel.

Seeing Kaede misunderstand Gabriel and Vignette as having feelings for Hachiman, she was all the more delighted, inwardly full of joy.

However, it was useless to just let Kaede think Gabriel and Vignette liked Hachiman and had unspeakable ties with him.

What she truly wanted to see was the awkwardness and entanglement when Gabriel and Vignette both truly fell for the same person. That would only happen if Gabriel and the others actually fell for Hachiman.

Kaede's bet with Hachiman on having a harem even included Gabriel and Vignette… If Hachiman could really win over both Gabriel and Vignette, that would be more incredible than the forbidden romance between an angel and a mortal. Just having a harem was nothing for Hachiman.

"Uh, I see… Actually, I also thought Hachiman couldn't do it, so I made this bet with him. As long as he fails, after graduation he has to marry me, get a proper job, and stop dreaming about being a househusband," Prompted by Raphiel, Kaede also felt her bet with Hachiman involving Vignette and Tsubaki made them unsure how to respond, and she followed the topic half-believingly.

Although the bet had a loophole. Win or lose, she'd still be bullied by Hachiman, even already fulfilling her future wife duties, in front of everyone, she could still maintain her toughness.

"Ahem, I think being a househusband is great. Going out to work doesn't earn much. Look, we have so many rich girls in the Service club, we can just spend their money," Hachiman softly cleared his throat. He could stay out of the warzone, but he had to voice his future career goals.

There was no future in working, working to death barely earned anything.

He could accept just the beautiful girls without the black-long-straight hair, but he couldn't give up the dream of being a househusband. Why go work when you could just lie at home?

"You mean you've been thinking about having a harem all along?", Kaede glared at Hachiman angrily.

Even if Hachiman meant she and Suzu wouldn't need to work and could enjoy life, was she the kind of person who wanted her husband to live off other women to support her?

'Hachiman, this guy… Once Iris and the others leave tonight, me and Suzu will have to give him a good lesson!'

Even though she lost miserably last time, that was because she lacked experience and was pinned down by Hachiman and Suzu, unable to resist.

Now knowing Hachiman's a philanderer always dreaming about harems, Suzu should stand on her side and help her punish Hachiman.

"Househusband, huh… President, if you accept my pursuit, this dream will easily come true. I'll be the elf queen in the future, and as my husband, you'll be a prince. With so many maids serving us, you won't need to work at all. Just stay by my side," Iris looked at Hachiman and Kaede and suddenly placed her slender, fair hand on the back of Hachiman's hand, gently stroking it.

"What are you doing to my childhood friend?", Seeing Iris taking advantage of Hachiman, Kaede quickly pulled him to her side, warily watching the blonde elf princess trying to lure Hachiman with money and power.

"Just being childhood friends won't stop the president from accepting my pursuit. Besides, didn't you say you wouldn't allow him to be a househusband? Now that I can make that happen, you won't allow it?", Iris smiled at Kaede, who could no longer act tough.

"I… I'll just go work with Suzu to support him! Anyway, I won't let you seduce Hachiman!", Kaede was choked for a moment, but realized that in the face of such a powerful rival as Iris, she could no longer demand Hachiman not be a househusband, so she forced herself to say it.

She and Hachiman had so many years of feelings. She couldn't let Iris, this elf princess, steal Hachiman.

"?", Suzu silently stared at her sister Kaede, who dragged her into supporting Hachiman by working, not knowing what to say.

"Hehe, looks like Kaede, you really like the president. You're even willing to go against your own ideas and work to support him," Iris looked at Kaede and the silent Suzu beside her, smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

"What do you mean? You don't really like Hachiman?", Kaede was stunned, finding Iris's words strange.

"Of course I like the president. But seeing that you also like and care about him so much, we're in the same position. We should get along well," Iris reached out and placed her small hand over Kaede's, looking at Hachiman and Kaede seriously.

Kaede had pulled Hachiman over and hadn't let go. Now Iris, Hachiman, and Kaede's hands were tightly held together.

"???", Kaede looked at the sincere Iris, utterly confused.

She completely didn't understand Iris's thoughts anymore, was it this elf princess who was the problem, or was it that other world that was strange?

Aren't they love rivals now? How could she talk to a love rival like this?

'Love rival?'

Iris knew that right now Kaede was definitely confused, not understanding why she would do this.

But she never felt that there was any irreconcilable conflict between her and Kaede.

Because Kaede alone definitely couldn't handle it, even adding Suzu wouldn't work. Rather than letting the president find other girls, it would be better to let the president assist her.

Even considering that all of them, including Ursula, were struggling to cope, they needed to call more elf girls from the clan to help.

It could be said that her encounter with the president was inevitable. Only such a powerful supporter like the president could save the elf race with its increasingly sparse population.

Now the only thing limiting the president from helping them was probably just time.

"Um... how about we eat first? Whatever we need to say, let's talk later?", Seeing that the atmosphere at the dining table was a bit awkward and the situation was in deadlock, Tsubaki swallowed her saliva and quietly suggested to Iris and Kaede.

If possible, she wouldn't want to speak up at such an incredibly awkward moment either, but she was really worried that Iris would mess things up. Iris could even explode herself, if she exposed the matter between her and Hikigaya next, it wouldn't be strange at all.

To avoid things going in an even worse direction, she could only brace herself and interrupt the standoff between Iris and Kaede.

'Whatever you two want to do, fine, but at least wait until I leave first. I don't plan on competing with Kaede for Hikigaya-kun. If they drag me into this mess next, what am that supposed to do?'

"...Then let's eat first. We'll talk after the meal," Kaede heard Tsubaki's words and only then realized that discussing these matters with Iris in front of Tsubaki, Vignette, and the others wasn't very appropriate, and she quickly agreed with Tsubaki's suggestion.

She had even involved Tsubaki and the others in her earlier bet with Hachiman, that was super awkward. It would be better to wait until everyone had left, then find Hachiman and Iris to have a proper talk.

"Hehe, then we'll talk after the meal," Iris glanced at the nervous-looking Tsubaki and didn't say anything more, just smiled and nodded.

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