...
{3rd Pov}
Subaru felt noticeably nervous as he prepared to meet with Emilia.
Even though the women around him had shown a clear change in their attitude toward him, he could not bring himself to fully trust it.
The shift was too sudden, too inconsistent with what he was used to.
Because of that, he remained cautious, unable to let his guard down completely.
Still, there was a part of him that wanted to believe it.
A small, stubborn part of him hoped that the way they were treating him now was genuine, that their actions actually meant something real.
But he quickly shut that thought down.
'There's no way they would love a loser like me,' he told himself, dismissing the idea before it could take root.
'And Priscilla and Crusch suddenly showing me affection out of nowhere… that doesn't make any sense.'
To him, it felt unnatural and out of place.
He could not find a logical explanation for it, and that alone was enough to make him suspicious.
Among all of them, Anastasia Hoshin had acted the most reasonable.
Compared to the others, her behavior had been calmer, more controlled, even if the reward she had offered was still excessive and difficult to believe.
However, when he thought about it more carefully, even her actions started to make a certain kind of sense.
From her perspective, both Crusch Karsten and Priscilla Barielle were showing unusual interest in him.
That alone would raise questions.
If two influential figures were suddenly trying to get close to someone like him, then there had to be a reason behind it.
So, rather than ignore it, she chose to act like the Merchant Queen she is.
She likely assumed that there was something special about him, something that justified their behavior, even if she did not fully understand it yet.
And because of that, she decided to involve herself as well.
'Did they somehow realize I have Return by Death?' Subaru wondered, the thought forming in his mind almost instinctively.
However, he quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea just as fast as it had appeared.
For anyone to even become aware of Return by Death, they would need to be immune to its effects, to bypass the restrictions that prevented others from knowing about it.
That clearly was not the case here.
'Maybe it's something else…' he continued thinking, trying to find a more reasonable explanation.
'Could it be that I'm just being used as bait?' he considered seriously.
'Technically, I've already attracted the White Whale before… so maybe the same applies to other Great Mabeasts as well.'
That line of thought made more sense to him.
'And then there's the Witch Cult… their behavior was strange in the previous loops when I encountered them. Maybe it's because of the Witch's scent. They might have mistaken me for one of them.'
The more he thought about it, the more he tried to connect everything logically, forcing the pieces to fit into something that felt believable.
Even so, there was something else beneath those thoughts.
Something he could not completely ignore.
Deep down, a part of him wished that the affection those women were showing him was real, especially Crusch's, because he also wanted to believe that he was worth something than just being a loser.
That it was not a misunderstanding, not manipulation, not some hidden agenda.
But no matter how he tried to look at it, that conclusion did not hold up.
Logically, it was impossible.
Even someone as kind and gentle as Emilia had been deeply disappointed in him.
She had reached a point where she no longer wanted him around, where she believed it was better for him to stay away.
If even she had reacted that way, then there was no reason for anyone else to feel differently now.
Much less the other Royal Candidates, for whom he was nothing more than a stranger.
Not only that, but he had already made a scene in front of them not long ago, leaving behind a poor impression.
Under normal circumstances, there was no reason for any of them to show him even a fraction of the attention they were giving him now.
And yet, despite all of that—
It almost felt as if the world itself was trying to tell him something different.
As if everything around him was pointing toward the idea that they actually liked him.
But Subaru refused to accept it.
His self-loathing, combined with the fact that he had not yet gone through the character development he needed, forced him to reject those thoughts completely.
He did not allow himself to believe in something that, in his mind, made no sense.
"Subaru-sama, is something troubling you?" a voice suddenly spoke, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He immediately recognized it.
That commanding tone, firm yet controlled, but for some reason softened when directed at him.
And along with it, the strange level of respect she continued to show him, something that still felt completely out of place.
It was Crusch Karsten.
Without meaning to, a slight blush appeared on his face as he responded.
"T-There's nothing much… I guess I'm just worried about meeting Emilia. I've already disappointed her."
The moment he said that, the reaction was immediate.
The three women present—excluding Rem, who had already accepted his feelings for the silver-haired half-elf—frowned almost at the same time.
Their expressions darkened slightly, clearly displeased by what he had just said.
"Hmph! That half-elf isn't even worthy to be the dirt beneath the soles of my shoes," Priscilla Barielle said with clear disdain, her tone sharp and filled with arrogance.
As she spoke, memories from her past life surfaced in her mind—memories of how Subaru's brilliance had been held back for so long because of his attachment to that half-elf, something she had never been able to accept.
Her words immediately affected the atmosphere.
The mood of the other women soured as well.
The realization settled in that they were currently in a point in time where Subaru still loved that half-elf, instead of them, like he had in their original timeline.
That alone was enough to irritate them.
Subaru instinctively wanted to respond.
He wanted to argue, to say that Emilia was not useless.
But the words did not come out as he hesitated.
There were too many things he did not understand right now.
The recent events had changed his perspective in ways he had not expected.
His respect for the others—especially the other Royal Candidates and the knights—had increased significantly.
He could no longer view them in the same dismissive way he might have before.
At the same time, his feelings had become more complicated.
His fondness for them had grown, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
In particular, his interactions with Crusch Karsten and Priscilla had left a stronger impression on him than he had anticipated.
There was something else too.
When he looked at Crusch, he felt something familiar—something similar to what he felt when he looked at Emilia.
It was not exactly the same, but it was close enough to make him uncomfortable.
He refused to acknowledge it.
He pushed it down immediately, denying it before it could develop into something more.
He did not want to overstep his boundaries again, nor did he want to get hurt the same way he had before.
For now, he made a decision.
First, he would try to make things right with Emilia.
After that, he would find some way to properly thank the other Royal Camps for everything they had done.
Finally, they reached the outer perimeter of the Mathers mansion.
The large estate stood ahead of them, its vast garden now completely enclosed by a wall of ice.
The structure was unnatural, clearly not something that had formed on its own.
It was obvious that this was Emilia's doing, the result of her magic being used to fortify the area.
There was only a single opening in the icy barrier, and as they passed through it, something happened before Subaru could properly take in his surroundings.
A blur of pink rushed toward him.
"Barusu!"
Subaru barely had time to react.
His eyes widened in shock as Ram practically launched herself at him.
The sudden impact caught him completely off guard, and he let out a startled shout as the force knocked him off his feet.
The two of them hit the ground, with Ram wrapping her arms around him tightly in an unexpected embrace.
The sudden display immediately drew reactions.
Some of the people present were clearly alarmed by her behavior, while Rem stood frozen in place, completely stunned.
Seeing her Nee-sama act so affectionately toward Subaru-kun was something she had never expected, and it left her momentarily speechless.
"Damn it! Nee-sama, is this some new kind of punishment you've learned?!" Subaru complained out of habit, his voice carrying the same exasperation as always.
But then—
He looked at her face and froze.
Her red eyes met his, and something about them felt completely different.
Her expression was not what he was used to.
It was not the usual cold, dismissive look she gave him, the one that made it seem like she was staring at something beneath her notice.
Where was the disgust that her eyes had whenever she looked at him?
Where was the irritation that her face had whenever she saw him alongside her sister.
She wasn't looking at him as if he was some worthless insect.
Instead, there was something else entirely.
It took him a moment to realize what was happening.
Ram wasn't just hugging him casually but was checking him.
Her gaze moved carefully over his body, scanning him from head to toe, as if she was trying to confirm something.
It was subtle, but clear enough once he paid attention—she was making sure he wasn't injured.
In fact, the one who was the most stunned by all of this was Rem.
Through the connection she shared with her sister, she could clearly feel what Ram was experiencing, and it completely caught her off guard.
She couldn't believe it.
Normally, whenever it came to Subaru, her sister's emotions were limited to irritation, annoyance, or outright dislike.
Depending on how the day had gone—or how badly Subaru had managed to mess something up—those feelings would fluctuate, but they were always within that range.
But right now?
It was completely different.
Rem felt overwhelmed, as if her senses had been flooded all at once.
It was like being hit by an explosion of emotions she was not prepared for like a flashbang.
Affection being the most prominent.
An overwhelming amount of affection.
It was far beyond anything she had ever sensed from her sister before.
Her mind struggled to process it.
Why did her sister feel such an intense sense of longing toward Natsuki Subaru?
Why was there such a strong emotion of lust directed at him? And more importantly—
Why did it feel like her sister had, somehow, surpassed even her in the way she glazed her hero?
Ahem.
Crusch Karsten reacted after a moment, doing what she was best at.
In one swift motion, she unsheathed her sword and brought it up to Ram's neck, the blade stopping just short of making contact.
The sudden action froze Ram in place, her body going still as the cold steel hovered dangerously close.
It seemed that, regardless of how her feelings had changed, Crusch's way of dealing with situations had not changed at all.
"Get off, maid…" she said slowly, her voice firm and her gaze cold as she pushed Ram to face towards her.
Crusch's tone carried clear warning.
She was not the only one ready to act.
Priscilla Barielle had almost prepared a spell as well, her expression filled with irritation as she looked at Ram.
It was obvious that she was more than willing to put the so-called insolent maid back in her place if necessary.
Meanwhile, Anastasia Hoshin watched the situation carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly however her expression was extremely cold towards the pink haired hard.
She recognized Ram.
From a previous loop, she remembered exactly who she was—the woman who had been devoted to that insane clown, someone who had made her husband's life unnecessarily difficult when he had first arrived in this world.
That memory alone made her suspicious.
'What kind of trick is she playing?' Anastasia thought, her mind immediately moving toward caution.
At the same time, she was not entirely dissatisfied with the current situation.
For now, the other two women were acting like guard dogs, keeping Subaru protected whether they realized it or not.
As long as that continued, it worked in her favor.
At least until the moment she could take him for herself completely.
"Wait a minute! There must be some misunderstanding!" Subaru shouted immediately, his voice rising in panic the moment he saw the blade pressed dangerously close to Ram's neck.
His reaction was quickly to calm down the situation and he did not think it through.
"I think this is just a new way for Nee-sama to investigate and make sure I didn't hurt Rem!" he added quickly, forcing a nervous smile onto his face as he tried to defuse the situation.
The explanation sounded weak.
Even he could tell.
"…"
For a brief moment, there was only silence.
In the background, Aldebaran reacted by slapping his own face, clearly unable to believe what he had just heard.
'Bro… even if you had to lie, you could have made it sound better,' he thought, his expression filled with disbelief.
'Seriously… is this really the guy my teacher wanted to get rid of?'
At the same time, he could not ignore what was happening in front of him.
Why was that pink-haired maid acting so close to Subaru?
It didn't make sense.
And that wasn't the only thing bothering him.
He had already started to question the behavior of the other Royal Candidates as well.
The way they were acting felt off, too affectionate towards Subaru, too unusual and somewhat same as his own Lady.
A thought had crossed his mind more than once—whether they had somehow returned to the past just like him.
But he pushed that line of thinking aside for now.
It wasn't his priority.
Right now, the only thing that mattered to him was ensuring that Priscilla Barielle remained safe and that her goals were achieved without interference.
Everything else could wait.
Not to mention she had promised, she would reveal everything about her return in past to him eventually.
"Well, I was just checking on my Barusu, and then—"
Ram suddenly paused mid-sentence.
Her words stopped abruptly, as if something had interrupted her thoughts.
For a brief moment, her expression shifted, her focus no longer entirely on Subaru.
Instead, it felt like something else was intruding on her awareness.
She realized it quickly.
She was being overwhelmed by emotions that were not her own.
The sensation was unfamiliar, intrusive, and disorienting.
It took her a moment to process it, but once she did, she slowly lifted her gaze.
And then she saw her.
Standing not too far away was a girl who looked almost identical to her—just different hair color but same hairstyle, the same maid uniform.
The resemblance was so exact that it was unsettling, as if she were looking at a reflection rather than another person.
It was Rem.
But what unsettled her more than the appearance was what she was feeling.
Love, Confusion and Worry.
All of it directed toward Subaru.
Ram's expression stiffened.
For the first time since everything had started, something close to fear surfaced within her.
"R-Rem…?" she spoke, the name leaving her lips slowly, almost uncertainly, as if she was addressing someone she did not fully recognize.
Rem, on the other hand, tried to remain composed.
"Nee-sama, the other camps are already wary of Subaru, especially after the two major conflicts that just occurred," she said calmly.
"I think it would be best to let Subaru-kun go for now."
Even as she spoke, she could not ignore what she was sensing.
There was something wrong.
She could clearly feel the emotions coming from her sister, and they did not align with what she expected at all.
Confusion and shock towards her for some reason.
And something else.
Anger... and hatred?
Rem blinked, momentarily unsure if she had interpreted it correctly.
To be certain, she subtly shook her head, trying to confirm whether her synesthesia was functioning properly.
Why was her Nee-sama feeling anger and hatred toward her?
It did not make sense.
The intensity of those emotions was not overwhelming, but they were still present, distinct enough to be noticed.
That alone was enough to unsettle her.
After a moment, she tried to rationalize it.
Perhaps there was another reason behind it.
Something she was not aware of yet.
Meanwhile Crusch wasn't over with Ram.
"Yes… it would be best if you step away from Subaru-sama," Crusch Karsten said, her tone controlled but firm.
From her perspective, there was no room for compromise.
No one else had the right to get close to him like this.
In her mind, Subaru belonged to her—her lord, someone she was not willing to share or allow others to approach so freely.
Priscilla Barielle, on the other hand, appeared slightly more tolerant on the surface.
However, even she had her limits.
The situation in front of her did not sit well at all.
From her point of view, the person she loved was being suddenly tackled and held by someone of lower standing, someone who, at first glance, looked like they were attacking him.
That alone was enough to irritate her, even if she had not acted on it fully yet.
Meanwhile, Anastasia Hoshin was focused on something else entirely.
Her attention had already shifted toward Emilia who has yet to appear.
She wanted to confirm something important.
In her previous loop, she had personally killed Emilia in front of herself.
If Emilia had also returned to the past like the rest of them, then there would be some kind of reaction—something that would reveal the truth.
No matter how well someone tried to hide it, such a memory would leave a trace.
Ram, however, ignored all of that.
She did not respond to Rem.
She did not step back.
Instead, she lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Crusch, her red eyes meeting Crusch's amber ones directly.
There was no hesitation in her expression, only defiance.
Even after everything that had been said, even with others trying to calm the situation and resolve the misunderstanding, Ram showed no intention of backing down.
In her mind, this was not something she could simply let go.
She had just reunited with her Subaru.
And now, suddenly, other women—including her own so-called sister—were interfering, trying to disrupt that moment.
That was something she was not willing to accept.
But in the end, after a few long moments of tense silence, with both sides locked in a silent standoff and Subaru nervously gulping as he watched everything unfold, Ram was the one who broke it.
"You can take your sword off my neck, Crusch-sama," Ram said calmly.
Her tone was steady, showing no fear or hesitation despite the blade that had been pressed so close to her.
Slowly, without making any sudden movements, she pushed herself up from on top of Subaru and stepped back, creating a small distance between them.
Crusch Karsten observed her carefully for a brief moment before finally lowering her weapon.
She then returned the sword to its sheath in a smooth motion, though her guard did not drop completely.
Ram, however, was no longer focused on Crusch.
Her attention shifted back to Subaru.
In those few seconds, she had already realized something important.
The shock in his eyes, hesitation in his reactions and most importantly, the slight distance in his attitude toward her.
All of it pointed to a single conclusion.
Subaru did not remember as she had previously hoped.
He had no memory of the time they had spent together.
Because if he did, then there was no way—absolutely no way—that her husband would remain silent like this.
He would have stepped in immediately.
He would have defended her without hesitation.
He would not have allowed these two-faced women to act the way they were acting right now.
That was simply the kind of person he was.
In her eyes, he was the kindest man in Od Laguna.
The sweetest one.
Ahem.
(A/N: A crazy woman loving a crazy man, both of them glazing the person they love—truly a match made in heaven.)
Ram had already come to a conclusion.
This was not going to be easy for her.
Not only would she have to make her husband fall in love with her again from the beginning, but she would also have to deal with these other women who, for some reason, were constantly surrounding her Barusu.
Their presence alone complicated everything, making the situation far more difficult than it should have been.
'Not to mention…' Ram thought as her gaze shifted once more, this time landing on Rem.
Her sister.
Even though Ram had returned to this point in time, something was clearl.
She had regained her memories of everything else, yet when it came to Rem, there was nothing.
No shared past, no emotional connection, no recollection of their bond.
Even though, technically, her memories should not have been erased like in her previous timeline since Rem's name wasn't eaten by the gluttony considering how she was standing in front of her, the result was the same.
To her, Rem felt like a complete stranger.
There was no familiarity in her eyes, and no recognition of her in her memories.
Just an unfamiliar presence standing in front of her.
Before she could process that further, Subaru's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Damn, that was stressful…" he said, letting out a breath as if trying to calm himself.
Then, after a brief pause, he added, "I might be overstepping my boundaries, but can you all please not insult Emilia?"
Those words were enough.
Whatever lingering doubt remained in Ram's mind disappeared instantly.
Her hands slowly clenched into fists so tightly that blood drew out from her palm.
It was a small reaction, subtle enough that most people did not notice except for one person, Rem saw it clearly.
"Forgive me, Subaru-sama, but I will have to speak with that half-elf properly," Crusch Karsten said without hesitation, her decision firm and immediate.
"Hmph! That useless half-elf needs to be put in her place without a doubt," Priscilla Barielle added, giving a small nod as if fully agreeing with the course of action.
Subaru, clearly not satisfied with either response, turned his attention toward Anastasia Hoshin, who stood slightly behind them alongside a couple of soldiers that had been standing silently in the background the entire time.
For a moment, it seemed like she might offer a different answer.
Instead, she let out a quiet sigh and shook her head.
"I also have some things I need to discuss with her," she said calmly.
That was enough.
Subaru could already tell how this was going to go.
In the end, he let out a tired sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly as he accepted the situation.
His attempt to shield Emilia from their criticism had failed before it had even properly begun.
There was no stopping them now.
Even so, he could not bring himself to argue further.
Despite everything, these women had been treating him well, far better than he expected and were the reason he and the other villagers, including Emilia was alive.
The last thing he wanted was for things to return to how they had been before, to the hostility and tension that had existed just the previous day.
'Sorry, Emilia-tan… it looks like you're going to have to deal with some reprimanding,' he thought, trying to justify it to himself.
What he did not realize, however, was how significant that decision was.
For someone who had always been completely devoted to Emilia, even allowing others to openly insult her—especially while knowing it would happen—was already a major change.
Meanwhile, Rem found herself growing increasingly uneasy.
She could not understand what was happening.
The way her sister was looking at her—it felt wrong.
It was the same kind of look she herself used to give Subaru at times, a mix of annoyance and irritation.
Seeing that expression directed at her instead left her confused.
But more than that, there was something else.
Something she could not ignore.
Why did she felt hurt upon seeing her own sister? The one that she loved so much?
The feeling was unfamiliar, sharp in a way she did not expect.
She could not explain why her chest felt tight just from that gaze alone.
A thought slowly formed in her mind.
Had her sister… fallen in love with her Subaru-kun as well?
The idea should have unsettled her more than it did.
Instead—
'If it's Nee-sama, then…' she thought, her cheeks turning slightly red as her imagination began to drift.
She pictured a future where she stood beside Subaru, with Ram there as well.
Somehow, the idea did not feel wrong to her.
In fact, she found herself accepting it more easily than she expected.
'I don't mind…' she admitted to herself.
Meanwhile, Ram's expression twisted.
Her face scrunched up in visible disgust, as if she had somehow heard exactly what Rem was thinking, even though no words had been spoken aloud.
To be continued...
(A/N: Ram hates Rem?! Who would have guessed? Do you know what else you cannot guess? There are no chaps left to guess LMAO)