Chapter 68: The Beauty of Being Seen

Humans are naturally wired to feel attraction.

Being in a committed relationship doesn't stop them from noticing others they find attractive.

Attraction can come from many things, like how someone looks, how they connect emotionally, or having common interests. But just because someone feels attraction doesn't mean they want to act on it or hurt their current relationship.

For a woman like Katherine, who deeply valued loyalty, feeling attracted to Vritra in the slightest while being married to Cedric caused her a lot of inner conflict.

She had been struggling with this uncomfortable feeling of attraction ever since Vritra stood up for her and protected her in the hall.

Sometimes, she would think about it logically.

『I... I can't forget my place in all of this. If I suddenly started acting on my feelings for God Vritra, people would see me differently. They might even call me a whore, right? And I can't let my kids go through something like that.』

But other times, her emotions would take over and make her focus on her feelings instead.

『But I-, I...

『I think I truly have feelings for God Vritra. I know he's hundreds of years old, but he still looks young enough that someone who doesn't know could mistake us for mother and son if we were walking down the street.

... Sigh~

『That doesn't really bother me though. What stands out is that God Vritra told me my maternal nature and angelic qualities are what make me attractive. Cedric has said that to me many times before, but for some reason, it never really felt sincere coming from him.』

Katherine relaxed even further, letting Vritra continue to stroke her head and affectionately caress her cheeks.

『I'm not the kind of woman who plays hard to get. I've had hundreds of men propose to me, even after I was married and old enough to have two grown sons.

『When I was with Aric, his love inspired me to be more, and it made me feel like myself. But when I was with Cedric, it was hard to truly connect with him. He wanted me so much that he saw me more as something he thought he couldn't have, but did, rather than as a real woman.

『I know most women don't get the luxury of being seen as a person with rights instead of just an object. We're often told we should be grateful to be used by someone.

... Mmm, but God Vritra changed that for me.

『Unlike Aric, whose love made me feel like myself, and Cedric, with whom I had to work hard to feel any real connection, God Vritra made things easy. For once, I secretly enjoyed playing hard to get because I felt truly wanted in a way that humanized me and gave me back a sense of worth.

『His love made me feel young and important, even though, in reality, I'm just an old woman with two sons, a cruel husband, and no dreams or aspirations left... a blank slate.

『Now, I look at all of this and wonder: for a chance at real love again, with a man who will likely never abandon me, do I give myself to him and leave my worries behind?』

It felt like Katherine had almost made her decision.

A small smile appeared on her pretty face as she grew more comfortable with the way God Vritra was gently caressing her head.

This simple gesture filled her with happiness.

Her heart raced, longing for more. Vritra, who was usually distant and indifferent to many, treated her with such care and tenderness. She couldn't help but feel special again.

"I'm not really thinking about my ex-husband, God Vritra. In fact, I'm thinking about how kind the young lord has been to someone as unimportant as me."

The more she talked, the more she wanted to avoid Vritra's calm gaze because her cheeks were red.

It took her a whole minute to respond to his question.

Everyone could see where her heart was before she even had a chance to think it through or fully realize it herself.

[Ding! Katherine feels very wanted around you. Her affection for you has risen by 40 points!]

Seeing this unfold, Vritra shifted from caressing Katherine's head to pulling her closer into his arms.

... Kyaaaaah~!

The sudden move made Katherine let out a small squeak, like a startled mouse, but the sound quickly faded.

"God Vritra, I... perhaps this is too..."

Her face turned beet red, and she started making nervous sounds, trying to create some space between them, even though she was still in Vritra's loving embrace.

『This is too abrupt...』

Katherine kept glancing at the princess, waiting for any nasty looks, but so far, there weren't any.

Actually, Princess Luciana reacted quite differently.

"Mhm, I did."

"And, um..."

"What's really bothering you?"

"She's, well, she's a servant like me. She shouldn't be touching your skin so casually unless you say it's okay. Just look at her—she's hugging you so tightly that if she got any closer, you'd practically be wearing her as a jacket."

"Is that really your only issue?"

"W-, Well, of course..."

Esmeralda suddenly felt foolish and decided to lower her head, staying quiet. Jealousy didn't feel right for a grown woman like her, especially since she was just a maid and not even Vritra's direct servant.

『I should really remember that...』

She let out a deep sigh inside.

"Esme?"

"Y-, Yes, young master?!"

"My back feels a little sore from all this walking. If only there were two soft pillows I could rest on."

"I... I have..."

Esmeralda looked down, and the first thing... or rather the only thing, she saw were the two big melons on her chest.

『Clearly, this is the young lord's way of showing he cares, right? There are times when we might feel unimportant around him, but those moments never take away from how he makes us feel valued.』

A warm smile spread across her face.

Without hesitating, she rushed to hug God Vritra from behind, letting her soft breasts press against his back like two pillows resting on a tired child's head.

"Does that satisfy my young lord?"

"As always, Esme..."

Three women were affectionately embracing Vritra as they walked, but there was still one woman left out.

Luciana maintained her stubborn attitude, but she was just as important as the others.

The young lord lowered his head and chuckled.

"Oh, Lucian~ahhhh ♡"

He called her name in such a romantic way.

It was hard for the hard-headed princess to ignore him, but somehow she managed.

『Don't resist, Luciana... he called you fat.』

She puffed her red cheeks out a little more.

"Will my Princess Porky come give me a hug too?"

Even with the teasing nickname she claimed to hate, Luciana couldn't help but respond.

... Hnnnn~

Shyly, she moved closer to Vritra and squeezed between the small group of women.

Finally, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Are you still angry?" Vritra asked her.

"Hnn, only a little bit..."

"Really?"

"I-, I'm not angry at all. I never said that I was..."

"Of course."