Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

46 - Capitalism at its Finest

I collapsed onto the bed tiredly, my eyes fluttering shut as I tried to throw away the stress of the day. All three men seemed to latch onto me like fleas to a wolf, hounding away until I could barely stand. I groaned in exasperation. I thought that as soon as I introduced them to Aileen and shut the door, everything would jump back into place. It wasn't the case. I mumbled a curse and flopped onto my back, sprawl-eagled.

Well, at least I can sleep peacefully tonight. The small consolation made my mood brighten. I snuggled into the soft pillow and grinned. Plus, they're only going to be here for a few days. How hard can it be?

A few knocks on the door disrupted my train of thought.

"Brother." Aileen said, her voice muffled through the wood. Ruffling my hair, I rubbed my eyes and trudged over to the corridor, half-hazardly grabbing the cold handle and flinging it open.

"Yes, Sister?" I mumbled softly, my weight pressing against the worn, dark wood, causing my posture to slump. I caught the sound of her stifled laughter and shifted my glare to her, only to be met with an unexpected sight behind that left me speechless. "What the... what's going on?"

A bed was held up by servants, while a blushing prince stood next to Aileen with a kitten-like scowl. His eyes flitted here and there as soon as I fixed my eyes on him questioningly.

"The prince will sleep with you for the duration of his stay." Aileen smiled and pushed me aside, walking into the room languidly with the prince shuffling behind.

My eyes widened, and a sense of grievance washed over me like a sudden chill. I hurried over to her and gripped her shoulder. "B-but why?" I stammered. I had finally found some respite, only to have my own room occupied by a prince? How could I possibly relax now? The more my thoughts roamed, the more wronged I felt.

Aileen turned back and flashed a diplomatic business smile. "Why? Because I said so."

I was left speechless by her shamelessness.

----

I did my best to maintain my composure. After the servants had set up the full-sized bed neighboring mine, the door closed and the prince shuffled a bit closer, standing awkwardly in front of the beds right next to me.

"I'm only here because your sister said so! Don't get any weird ideas." His face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly averted his gaze. Without the other two men with him, the prince seemed to recover his tsundere disposition. I wanted to roll my eyes at his vain excuse, but chose to remain quiet and just emitted a half-hearted grunt.

I furrowed my brow, and slumped onto the bed in utter resignation. I needed a place to regroup. I waved my hand carelessly, pointing to the two beds. "That one's yours. You can make yourself at home." I drawled. Anyway, the prince wanted me to be informal with him anyway, so what was the point of keeping up appearances. "I'm gonna go shower. Don't go into the bathroom, alright?"

With that, I marched out of the bedroom with a heavy heart. It turns out that my sister was so capitalistic... I didn't expect her to be so ruthless. Gripping the handrail, I entered the bath, shedding my clothes. The moment my body immersed in the warm, soothing water, it felt as if I'd turned into jelly. The gentle currents in the tub made my skin tingle like the surface of a serene lake, and I let out a long sigh, feeling all my stress melt away.

Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts drift. Lucius, Cyrus, and Theodore were going to be here for three days. The objective was to introduce them to Aileen. I mused. I expected it to be much easier than this. After all, it was their destiny, controlled by the world.

I gritted my teeth, my determination waning. I was an aberration which caused a disruption in the original plotline, so I needed to be the one to fix it. But what was I supposed to do? I groaned and slumped back into the lukewarm bathwater, emitting another wave of magic-generated heat from my body to heat the water again. Then, an idea struck me.