"You still dare to appear in front of me?", Kaede stared straight at Iris, whose skin was as white as snow and whose long golden hair shone dazzlingly. Seeing that she still had a faint smile at the corner of her lips, Kaede's face immediately turned red as she glared angrily at Iris.
She was currently angry, yet Iris hadn't cared about her emotions at all and had just run over.
Wasn't this clearly provocation?
"Actually, I've been here all along~ I just now released the invisibility spell~", Iris glanced at Rurikawa Tsubaki beside her, who was at a loss and didn't know how to face either her or Kaede. Smiling brightly, she sat down beside Hachiman, took Kaede's hand in hers, and truthfully confessed what she had just done.
Aegis, as always, stood guard beside Iris expressionlessly.
There was no helping it, whenever she spoke, she offended people. This kind of occasion didn't suit her at all. Only during times of assistance would she say a few more words.
"Ah?", Kaede froze, 'She has been here all along...'
"Otherwise, Kaede, who do you think put the empathy bracelet on Miss Tsubaki's wrist? I've been watching you for quite a while~"
Iris looked at Kaede's gradually reddening face and smiled happily.
Although she was feeling more pressure now as more demi-humans appeared and was no longer planning to slowly pursue the club president and have Kaede accept her, she also didn't want to have conflict with Kaede.
When Kaede was fuming with anger, making her feel a bit shy first could help ease things for the conversation that followed.
"...", Rurikawa Tsubaki.
So, why did that bracelet end up on her wrist?
Wasn't the struggle for Hikigaya between Iris and Kaede? Why drag her into this and persecute her.
"Iris, what exactly are you trying to do by messing with us like this?", Kaede took a deep breath, straightened her face, and looked at Iris expressionlessly.
She wasn't the type to just get angry. Being elected student council president at Sobu High meant she had strong mental fortitude.
It's just that because of her close relationship with Hachiman, it wasn't a problem to be noisy and express emotions. Now that the real troublemaker, Iris, had appeared, she had no intention of venting her dissatisfaction anymore and chose to treat Iris seriously.
"Kaede, you've misunderstood. I really don't have any hostility toward you," Seeing Kaede get serious, Iris smiled gently, "Didn't I say so when we were eating at the president's house? I like the president, and you like the president, we stand on the same side."
"Although at first I just wanted to ask for the president's help, now I really like him. I don't want our relationship to be just about assistance," As she spoke, Iris shyly glanced at Hachiman.
She had already done many intimate things with the president, but this was the first time she had openly expressed that she didn't want to be separated from him.
"So you want to help him build a harem?", Listening to Iris's seemingly sincere but actually absurd words, Kaede glanced at Hachiman, her mouth twitching slightly.
'This elven princess is serious?'
'She's really fallen for Hachiman? No other bad intentions?'
'Hmm... this situation is actually worse. If she has no other motive and is just attracted to Hachiman—'
'How can I refuse? How can I help Hachiman refuse?'
From the previous bet, it was easy to see that Hachiman didn't want to try at all. He wished he could marry a bunch of noble ladies and princesses, build a big harem, and live an easy househusband life without working.
"Don't worry, Kaede. I won't abandon the old for the new. Iris is a princess of the elves, she's rich. We won't have to work like corporate slaves anymore," Seeing Kaede look at him, Hachiman lowered his head and planted a firm kiss on her smooth, elastic cheek to comfort her.
As an elven princess, Iris could easily provide for him. Moreover, it's not like he wasn't doing anything, assisting Iris and her people took a lot of energy too. He'd still be working hard at home all day, even busier and more tired than most jobs.
"Um...", Rurikawa Tsubaki looked at Hachiman, who was clinging to Kaede and occasionally showing affection. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but hesitated.
Should she remind Hikigaya that the bracelet hadn't been taken off yet? Right now she could feel Kaede's thigh being touched and the kiss on her face.
However, with Iris and Kaede currently confronting each other, she didn't dare make a sound and draw attention.
Compared to the overwhelming surges of emotion earlier that were nearly unbearable, this slight awkwardness was already a huge improvement.
"Iris, you saw it too. Hachiman is such a scumbag, do you still like him? Why don't you go back to your world and find someone there? What's so good about Hachiman?", Kaede didn't have any extra attention to spare for Rurikawa Tsubaki at the moment. Seeing how shameless Hachiman was even in front of everyone, she rolled her eyes at him and looked at Iris, kindly trying to advise her.
It's truly difficult to compete with her. Forget about the difference in status, the main problem is that she doesn't want Hachiman to be a househusband, but Iris is even willing to help him build a harem.
She could only try to make Iris feel that Hachiman was unreliable and voluntarily give him up.
"Why wouldn't I like such a president? Not wanting to work isn't a crime. I also don't want the president to go out to work. He doesn't have enough time as is, wouldn't it be better if he spent more of it with us? Why work at all?", Iris looked at Kaede with a beaming smile and shook her head slightly.
Not to mention that the elven race doesn't value money or status, where could the president even find a job that matches his status?
Rather than wasting time working, it would be better for the president to stay home and enjoy the service of elven girls, and perhaps even reward them by letting them bear his children.
"...", Kaede fell into silence again.
She had underestimated the situation. Iris was a real elven princess. Supporting Hachiman, adding her and Suzu as well, was no problem at all.
Apparently, the elven race didn't do the arranged marriages like in novels or manga. For the elven princess, as long as she liked him, that was enough.
Noble status, beautiful appearance, gentle and considerate, understanding, and even willing to help him build a harem, you really couldn't compete with that. Even if she and Suzu made two, given Iris's attitude, if Hachiman wasn't satisfied, it wouldn't be strange for her to find a few more beautiful, fair-skinned, long-legged elf girls for him in the elf tribe.
"Of course, in my world I'm a real elven princess, but in this world the so-called elven princess title is just an empty position. If we want the president to spend freely and not work here, we still have to rely on Tsubaki to earn money," Seeing Kaede deep in thought, Iris didn't disturb her but turned her gaze toward Rurikawa Tsubaki, who was trying hard to make herself invisible.
As an exchange student princess from the elven world, the government had provided her with a substantial fund for travel and activities. She didn't have to worry about expenses, but those funds couldn't be spent casually, they couldn't cover the president's daily spending.
Unless the president went to live in the elven forest, someone had to earn money to support him in the human world.
And the most suitable candidate, clearly, was Kaede's good friend and sister, the one snatched by the president from the Poiman family, Rurikawa Tsubaki.
"Uh... why am I getting dragged in again...", Rurikawa Tsubaki blushed slightly upon hearing Iris's words.
Was she getting tricked again? This elven princess really wasn't as innocent as she looked.
"Of course we can't ignore you, Miss Tsubaki. Don't you want to revive the Rurikawa family?", Iris curled her lips and gave Rurikawa Tsubaki a smile that looked like that of a devil to her.
"Actually, after absorbing the Poiman family's resources, the power of the Rurikawa family is already much greater than before. It's just that a lot of those resources belong to the president."
"If you become someone who belongs to the president, those assets will truly belong to the Rurikawa family. You just need to satisfy the president when he needs it."
In some ways, Rurikawa Tsubaki's situation was the same as hers. Iris was seeking support for the elven race, and Rurikawa Tsubaki was sacrificing herself to preserve her family. So she understood Rurikawa Tsubaki's thoughts well.
If it were just a matter of feelings, discussing whether Rurikawa Tsubaki liked the president or not, she might reject it for other reasons.
But when it came to her family... Rurikawa Tsubaki probably couldn't refuse.
"You sure it's just about me providing money, and not... not making me join Hikigaya-kun's harem too?", Rurikawa Tsubaki quickly glanced at Kaede and, seeing her also staring at her, couldn't help but lower her voice with some embarrassment.
What did she mean by satisfying the president? She felt that Iris wanted more than just money.
She even suspected that when she was being manipulated by Urusula, Iris had deliberately ignored her and watched happily just to use it to drag her down with them today.
"Having one of our own manage the money is more reassuring, right? Besides, you've already given your purity as a girl and your pride as a noble to the president, it's not your first time. What's there to be afraid of?", Iris smiled faintly, her gaze wandering between Kaede and Rurikawa Tsubaki's conflicted faces.
"Compared to me, Kaede would definitely prefer you joining the president's harem, wouldn't she?"
"Ugh...", Rurikawa Tsubaki remained silent, quietly glancing at Kaede. Seeing Kaede also looking at her, she immediately averted her gaze.
She didn't know what Iris's true intentions were, but Iris's words hit her right in the heart.
If her future husband wasn't Hikigaya, she didn't know who else it could be.
But no matter how good Iris made it sound, she couldn't possibly take her best friend's lover as her husband.
"Tsubaki, do you like Hachiman?", Kaede looked at Rurikawa Tsubaki, who was equally troubled, with a complicated expression and let out a long sigh.
Just like how Tsubaki had always considered her and never tried to steal her friend's lover, she couldn't just sit back and watch her good friend be bullied by her childhood friend and then abandoned to weep alone.
Tsubaki was such a good girl, how could she be handed over to a guy like Hachiman.
"T-this... I don't know if I like him, but I don't dislike him... I guess," Hearing Kaede's question, Rurikawa Tsubaki's heart skipped a beat, but she bit her lip and honestly confessed.
She had never been in love before, and barely had any private interactions with Hikigaya. How would she know whether she liked him?
But being close to Kaede every day, hearing her complain about Hachiman, she knew a lot about him. And she didn't really dislike him.
Yeah... anyone could tell Kaede was just venting, she didn't really hate Hachiman. Otherwise, she would've just ignored him instead of complaining all the time.
"Hachiman, you scumbag!", Hearing this, Kaede immediately reached out and pinched Hachiman's soft waist.
Tsubaki had already done this and that with Hachiman, and still didn't dislike him. Wasn't that clearly having feelings for him?
'Damn it, when did it happen? In my memory, Tsubaki and Makoto-chan never has much special interaction with Hachiman. I was always there when they did.'
"You agreed?", Hachiman looked at the suddenly angry Kaede and tightened his arms around her soft, full body, asking with some surprise.
He knew Kaede very well, if she was unhappy or upset, she'd explode. But if she just pinched him like this, it meant she was struggling internally but didn't really object.
"Who said I agreed—mmph, I didn't—mmph!", Kaede tried to argue, but Hachiman didn't give her a chance. He went straight for her hardest part, her mouth.
"Wait, Hachiman and Suzu, you can't do this! Wait!"
Rurikawa Tsubaki stared blankly at Kaede and Hachiman suddenly hugging tightly. When she realized she was about to be forced into experiencing the kiss through the empathy bracelet again, she quickly reached out to stop them.
Whatever they did, they shouldn't forget about her.
That empathy bracelet was still on her wrist.
"Tsubaki doesn't want to be left out? Want to join in too? Hehe, how bold~", But Rurikawa Tsubaki had forgotten that Iris was still beside her. Seeing the situation, Iris immediately grabbed Rurikawa Tsubaki to let Kaede feel the full power of the empathy bracelet.
"No, I didn't mean—mmph, wait—mmph..."
Seeing herself about to collapse in front of the elven princess again, this time even in front of her good friend Kaede, Rurikawa Tsubaki's expression changed. But by now, things were out of her control.
"Don't worry, Kaede already agreed, right, Suzu?", Iris smiled and glanced at Suzu, who had quietly climbed onto the sofa and hugged Hachiman from behind.
Since Kaede hadn't clearly objected, Iris naturally wanted to help everyone get along harmoniously.
"Mm," Suzu nodded happily, 'Finally done, now that the silly Kaede has Iris and Tsubaki's help, I can be close to Hachiman without holding back anymore.'
"?", Kaede actually wanted to protest. Even if she had silently agreed to her friend Tsubaki, it didn't mean she could accept everything without hesitation.
But now, she simply couldn't open her mouth to stop Iris.
"Aegis, don't just stand there," Iris looked around and cheerfully pulled down the last neatly dressed person in the student council room—Aegis.
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