The eyes staring at Aleena and me feel like daggers. The living room is thick with immense killing intent. Then, I spot Roku and Lola among them, both watching with mixed emotions. The tension is so heavy it presses down on my shoulders.

Suddenly, Erin’s voice cuts through the silence, sharp and angry. "Aleena is such a pretender! She acts like a saint, but her moans were loud as a slut earlier!"

Aleena’s face flushes with rage. "How dare you call me a slut, Erin?!"

Erin doesn’t back down. "You broke the agreement! If I knew you would do it first, I would have had sex with Jacob long ago instead of holding back my desires!"

Aleena softens a little, her voice dropping. "I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to break the deal."

Seeing them argue like this, I can’t really stay silent anymore. I speak in a loud, firm voice. "Everyone should at least respect my presence here."

Immediately, they all huff and sneer at the same time.

"Hmph!"

"You don’t keep your dick in your pants and you brought another woman home!" they say, pointing straight at Miranda.

Miranda looks confused. She turns to me for an explanation, then speaks up. "Jacob, you have some explaining to do. How could you amass this many women in such a short time?" She pauses, then adds, "You pervert."

In seconds, an argument explodes. Fingers point at Aleena. Roku and Lola complain that whenever they manage to get time with me, Aleena is always messaging me. Erin adds that Aleena insists on cooking for me every morning, calling it unfair. The only ones who stay quiet are Pico, who sits calmly holding Zen, and Lilith, who seems lost in a daze.

I sigh at the chaos and curse under my breath. Having a harem isn’t the flex people make it out to be in stories. Living under the same roof with multiple women feels like sticking your head under a guillotine held by a thin rope.

I glance at Aleena. She looks emotional, like she’s on the verge of tears. I curse again and raise my voice. "Everyone, shut up!"

My booming tone instantly silences the room. All eyes turn to me.

I wrap my arms around Aleena’s waist and pull her closer, holding her protectively. Then I address the group.

"So what if I favor Aleena a bit more than everyone else?" I say firmly. "I have never treated any of you badly. I have shown nothing but love. Before any of you agreed to be with me, I made it clear I would not be exclusive. I would be involved with multiple women, especially since I plan to open a studio in the future."

I turn back to Aleena, pulling her even closer. "If I were to apologize, it would be to Aleena for not being loyal to only her, despite everything she has done for me."

I look at the others again. "Everyone has their role. It isn’t pure favoritism, but what each of you can handle. Aleena is in charge of home affairs, so it makes sense for her to cook because she’s usually at home. Erin and Lilith, you both have more crucial roles to play in the future. Don’t get swayed by petty things. I carefully chose each of you because I see real value in you, not just because I want to lust after you."

I turn to Roku. "I specifically requested Lasawani to find someone of your caliber and made the move to take you because I saw value in you."

I sigh. "I may be a pervert, but I’m not a fool."

The room turns dead silent. I continue...

"Fine. I will marry everyone — including Pico and Miranda. This is to ensure equality so no one feels left out."

Everyone’s eyes widen at the same time.

"What?!" they shout in unison.

I raise my hand to quiet them. "However, you will be ranked based on who I met and developed feelings for first. Aleena will be the first wife, Lilith the second, Lola the third, Erin the fourth, Roku the fifth, Pico the sixth, and Miranda the seventh wife."

After I finish speaking, complete silence fills the room. No one says a word. They all stare at me with wide eyes, processing what I just announced.

Erin speaks first, her voice sharp. "I’m sorry, Aleena. I went too far."

Lola nods, looking genuinely remorseful. "Yeah... I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have joined in like that."

The others murmur apologies as well. Aleena’s shoulders relax slightly, but the air is still heavy.

Erin suddenly turns to me, her eyes narrowed. "How could I be fourth wife and not third? I knew you before Lola did!"

I rub the back of my head awkwardly. "I... might have made a mistake in the ranking."

Erin huffs loudly and glares at Lola. "I hope you didn’t think you were actually third."

Lola looks at me, then back at Erin. "Did you do that on purpose, Jacob?"

I nod without hesitation. "Yes. I wanted a little revenge."

Lola sighs but doesn’t seem truly angry. "I was used as a shield then. Fine. Anyway, I’m moving in, hehe. I brought all my luggage."

Roku steps forward quietly. "I’ll be shamelessly living here too."

I sigh and decide to address the group once and for all. "Aleena and I won’t be around for a few days. We’re going to visit her parents. It slipped my mind earlier, and Erin and Lilith have already left."

Lola and Roku pause, then nod. "No problem," Lola says. "As long as we can contact you."

Murmuring something under their breath, they both head upstairs. Now only Aleena, Miranda, Pico, and I remain in the living room. My hand still rests possessively on Aleena’s waist.

Aleena suddenly grabs my shirt and whispers, "Thank you... for standing up for me."

Before I can respond, Miranda clears her throat. "You’re really leaving for days? I haven’t even properly thanked you yet."

I shake my head. "Stop thanking me. I should be the one apologizing for not announcing my departure earlier."

I reach into my inventory and pull out two gold coins, slipping them into her hand. "Get anything you want."

Miranda’s eyes widen. She smiles, almost crying, as she rubs the coins. "This is the first time I’ve touched gold coins..." She bows slightly. "I’ll gladly wait for your return." Then she hurries upstairs.

Finally, Pico emerges from the corner, carrying little Zen in her arms. She stands in front of me, her golden eyes glowing like an eager puppy.

"Master... are you really going to marry me?"

I nod. "Yes."

Her eyes widen with joy, then dim slightly. "Even so... I want to be by Master’s side on this journey."

My gaze drops to her chest. Her nipples poke prominently through her blouse, drenched with milk. Pico is always leaking these days.

I clear my throat. "What about Zen? She’s too little for such a journey."

Pico glances at Aleena, then back at me. "Lilith and Erin will take care of her. Zen even likes them more than me now."

I sigh. "Fine. Do whatever you like."

Aleena suddenly speaks up. "If Zen is away from you, won’t your tits get engorged?"

Pico glances at me sharply. I wink at her, signaling her not to spill the beans about how much I enjoy drinking her milk.

Thankfully, Pico nods quickly. "There’s a wolfkin method I can use to curb it."

Aleena doesn’t press further and simply nods. It would be awkward if she found out I love drinking Pico’s milk. Pico is also so attached to me that she would track my scent if I’m gone for more than a day.

Pico suddenly rushes upstairs, probably to drop Zen off with Lilith and Erin. A few minutes later, she comes back down carrying a small box with her luggage and a beautifully crafted dagger strapped to her waist.

I grab my head, realizing something important. "It would seem disrespectful if we arrive at your parents’ house late at night. Besides, I haven’t gotten any gifts for them."

Aleena seems to realize this too and nods. "I know what my parents would like. We can get them at the Adventurer’s Guild."

I agree without hesitation. Aleena, Pico, and I step into the newly bought car. The mana engine hums smoothly as we head toward the Adventurer’s Guild. This world operates indefinitely — night and day don’t create much difference because of the different races’ natural cycles.

We arrive quickly. The Guild is bustling even at this hour. Aleena leads the way, shopping for many rare herbs for her mom. I watch her carefully, thinking a typical elf would love all these high-quality ingredients. She picks out glowing moon petals, and several other precious plants. After she finishes, I pay without complaint.

I turn to her. "What should we get for your dad?"

Aleena scratches her head. "He’s sickly and rarely fancies any gifts."

"Is there something specific he loves doing?" I ask.

She smiles softly. "He loves smoking at the peak of mountains or the top of tall trees."

I smile sheepishly and smack Aleena’s curvy ass through her dress. She flushes bright red and whispers, "Jacob! Don’t do that in public!"

I lean closer. "Apart from giving your father a grandchild before he dies, I’ll also let him experience the peak high of miracle leaves."

I scroll through my phone, find the dwarf who gave me the purple skunk at the get-together party, and contact him through the info Lasawani provided. He has a stall here at the main Adventurer’s Guild. I buy two pounds of Devil Skunk from him.

After that, we shop for feminine dresses for Aleena’s sisters. She has a step-sister who is older and a blood-related younger sister. We pick out several beautiful outfits that would suit both of them.

Once we finish buying everything, we load the car and head to a large park that contains a massive teleportation formation. Using the car’s flight capability would be inefficient and time-consuming for crossing continents. The formation can take us there instantly.