Building a Harem in a Noble House-Chapter 68: It felt... right.

The carriage rocked gently along the winding road, the kind of smooth ride that only came from a family with deep pockets. We’d been here for a little over five minutes, the thick wooden walls muffling the outside world into a hazy rhythm of hoofbeats and distant bird calls. I sat smack in the middle, squeezed between Lyra and Isobel like some awkward sandwich nobody asked for. Lyra on my left and Isobel on my right. We each sat in these wildly comfortable plush seats with maroon fabric and silver lining. God, we needed one of these for our Quests!

You know what else we needed for our Quests? Better weapons. I used a sword, but I was proficient with arrows. And guns, though they don’t see wider use for about twenty more years. Speaking of, shouldn’t there be weapons that naturally siphon aura? I’m surprised they haven’t been invented yet in all my years. I guess that’d make people a lot more like Dark Mages, but was that such a bad thing? Dark Mages, like Isobel, were strong! If everyone had that kind of power, Dark Mages wouldn’t be so dangerous! Speaking of dangerous, I wonder why Bulettes are considered so dangerous. They might be strong and hard to kill for most adventurers, but they’re just territorial. Leave them alone, they leave you alone! There’s nothing insidious about–

"Lloyd! You don’t hear me calling you?" Isobel asked, jabbing my side with a finger.

"No, I was too busy trying to distract myself from how awkward things are!"

"Sorry. I think I was falling asleep," I lied. "I’m kinda tired.

Isobel made a face like she wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t press me, thankfully. "Goodness. You both seem out of it. Did something happen...?"

"It’s an early morning. I’m still kinda... hnghhh... tired." Lyra said, yawning mid-sentence.

"Well, we’ll be up all day, so how about we wake up with a story?" Isobel started. "I’d like you two to tell me how exactly you became friends. I’m quite curious."

Lyra glanced up, her gold eyes softening a touch. She let out a small laugh, the kind that broke the ice just a little. "It’s nothing you haven’t heard before. I found Lloyd here getting picked on by a bunch of older kids at the orphanage. He was this timid little thing back then, all wide-eyed and scrawny, trying not to cry while they shoved him around." She nudged my side gently. "So, I came in to save the day. Been his guardian angel ever since."

I felt my cheeks burn again, though for a different reason now.

"Don’t make it sound worse than it was, Lyra," I started, not wanting her to spin it too far into embarrassing territory. "Sure, I got bullied a bit, but that only lasted like... a few weeks, tops." I smiled, a wave of satisfaction washing over me. "Once I learned ’Inflict Wounds’, the bullying stopped pretty quickly." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Lyra’s grin widened, her blonde strands falling across her face as she leaned back. "And who’s the one who gave you that spellbook to learn Inflict Wounds? I smuggled that thing for myself, you know! I felt so bad for you that I decided to give it to you so they wouldn’t go accidentally killing you or something!"

Isobel raised an eyebrow, her black braid swaying as she turned to look at Lyra with fresh interest. "Wait, so you were the one who kicked things off? I figured Lloyd here was always the instigator. Hmm... if he’s the follower type, maybe I should’ve picked you to head up the House? ’House Knight’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think, Lloyd?"

Lyra shook her head, her gold eyes flicking to me with that unwavering trust. "Nah, I’m not the leader type. Lloyd’s the one who holds our party together. I trust his judgment completely. Every call he makes, every risk he takes. In every timeline we’ve jumped through, he’s the one bridging factions, connecting people who shouldn’t connect, making real change happen. Me? I-I feel like I’m just... along for the ride, witnessing it all." Her voice dipped a little, self-deprecating, like she was confessing something heavy.

I reached out, squeezing her hand without thinking. "That’s not true, Lyra. You’re my emotional center. Whenever I’m overwhelmed, you’re there. Grounding me. Besides, we literally wouldn’t be here if not for you! You’re family to me, Lyra."

Her eyes shimmered, touched, and she squeezed back. "Thanks, Lloyd." Then she turned to Isobel, her posture relaxing. "And... I know this might sound like it’s coming out of nowhere, but... Sorry if I’ve been kinda distant with you. It’s just... adjusting to all this...."

Isobel waved it off, her smile genuine. "Relax." She sighed, looking between the two of us. "I just want to earn that same closeness you two have. Feels like you’ve got an unbreakable bond."

Lyra bit her lip, glancing between us. "I hope I’m not getting in the way of you two..."

Isobel laughed, that mischievous grin creeping back slightly. "Oh, please. You two have known each other longer than he’s known me. I would never get in the way of the intimacy you two share."

Lyra smiled then, leaning into me, her head resting on my shoulder. Isobel mirrored her on the other side, her body pressing close. I draped an arm around each of them, holding them steady as the carriage swayed.

It felt... right.

Isobel sighed softly, her voice turning vulnerable. "I’ve been alone most of my life, you know? Only real friends were my family and the servants at the estate. I can’t take the place you two have in each other’s lives, but I... want to be close to both of you."

We murmured kind words back; me telling her she was already close to us–especially when you took time-travel into account and how long we’ve technically known each other–, and Lyra adding that we were a package deal. The tension from earlier melted away, replaced by this cozy warmth. The carriage’s gentle motion lulled us, and soon enough, our eyes grew heavy. The last thing I remembered was drifting off with Lyra’s steady breathing against me and Isobel’s braid tickling my arm.

It felt like only minutes later when a soft knock jolted me awake. The carriage had slowed, and the door creaked open to reveal a short Dark Elf dressed like a maid. Her tan skin glowed in the afternoon light, silver hair tied back neatly, pointy ears peeking out.

"W-welcome, milord. Miladies. My name is Savrah Dhosil, and I will be attending to you today." she said with a flourish. "You three were resting when we arrived thirty minutes ago, so we decided to let you rest a bit longer to further prepare the estate. We are ready for you now, and the family would like to see you. So... um..." She paused, glancing between me and the ground. "A-are you... ready...?"