Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 234: Zima’s Proposal

That must be the result of his own hard work.

Meanwhile, Damien couldn’t help but feel a pang of self-doubt—despite attending the same lessons, he hadn’t picked up much at all.

Is this what they call a difference in natural talent? he thought, feeling a bit deflated.

"Let’s see here... Oh... oh my..."

Theo’s expression turned into an exaggerated grimace as he read what Zima had written.

Huh? Damien wondered. What could be written there to cause that reaction?

Without a word, Theo passed the paper to Leonide, who was seated beside him. Leonide’s reaction mirrored Theo’s—a strained, awkward smile.

"Sebas, could you explain this to the Dragonewts?" Theo asked.

Wait, why Sebas? Damien thought. Sure, Sebas could speak Dragonewt, but wasn’t that supposed to be his job as the translator?

As the paper continued to make its rounds, the same uncomfortable smiles spread across the group.

This feels wrong, Damien thought. Isn’t this kind of public embarrassment unfair?

Damien turned his attention to Zima, concerned about how he might be taking it. However, Zima was... smiling awkwardly as well?

What?

By the time Sebas whispered the contents of the paper to the Dragonewts, even they were chuckling—though one of them, Tis’a, was nodding enthusiastically with a look of genuine approval.

What on earth did Zima write? Damien wondered, completely baffled.

What? What’s going on here?

What exactly is written on that paper?

"Alright, everyone, I’d like to hear your thoughts," Theo said, bringing order to the strange atmosphere in the room.

"Who agrees with Zima’s proposal? Please raise your hand."

At Theo’s words, everyone chuckled awkwardly but raised their hands together. Tis’a, on the other hand, enthusiastically shot his hand up, grinning from ear to ear.

The only ones who did not raising their hands were the proposer, Zima and Sebas—who wasn’t participating—and Damien, who still had no idea what was going on.

It was practically unanimous.

Does that mean Zima’s suggestion has been approved? Damien wondered. Though the mood felt oddly ambiguous, the decision seemed clear.

"Well then, Damien, I’ll announce the unanimously approved proposal," Theo said.

What sort of proposal could possibly lead to this kind of situation? Damien braced himself.

"I’ll read it directly: ’Let’s all take care of the master.’ That’s it. The decision has been made unanimously."

Huh?

Take care of?

Who?

The master—meaning Damien himself.

"Rejected," Damien stated firmly.

"Thought so," Theo replied, sounding unsurprised.

Despite the unanimous approval, Damien spent the next while fending off repeated attempts at persuasion.

There was no way he could let everyone take care of him while he played around. It wasn’t right.

They argued it would create more time for him to spend with everyone, but that didn’t make it okay.

Others claimed it would help him adjust to this world by giving him more freedom, but even that wasn’t a good enough reason.

They tried every angle, from coaxing to appealing to his emotions, but Damien stood his ground.

Though their smiles betrayed that no one was entirely serious, their persistence was surprising—especially Tis’a, who seemed to be having the time of his life.

Even now, Tis’a was still trying to convince Damien.

"Ithnan," Damien whispered, sneaking over to him. "What’s with Tis’a?"

"Ah, we Dragonewts have a tradition where the male supports their partner," Ithnan explained in his distinct accent. "Tis’a grew up seeing that, so... how do you say... maybe he sees you, Master, as... a partner of sorts?"

Ah, so that’s why, Damien thought.

While it was flattering to be held in such regard, it was also... a bit much.

"Tis’a," Damien called.

"Yes, Master?" Tis’a replied eagerly.

What should he do? After all, it wasn’t as if anyone had done anything wrong.

Damien decided to speak his mind honestly.

"Tis’a, listen," he began. "I’m really happy that you want to work for me."

"Master... I will work as hard as I can for you!" Tis’a exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy.

His expression clearly showed how much it meant to him to be able to do something for Damien.

"But you know, I want to work for all of you, too. For everyone I love," Damien continued.

He understood the idea of staying home to take care of his loved ones, and he knew they might prefer it that way. Still, Damien felt strongly about contributing just as much for their sake.

Hearing this, Tis’a placed a finger to his lips in thought.

"You want to work for us, Master?"

"Yes, I want to do my best alongside everyone."

"Because you love us?"

"Yes, Tis’a. Because I love you, I want to do my best for you, too."

Tis’a lowered his head, visibly flustered.

"Master... I can’t even look at your face right now," he admitted shyly, shifting in place.

"Well then, let’s all work hard for one another," Damien suggested.

"Yes... that sounds wonderful," Tis’a agreed, his voice small but sincere.

Good, Damien thought, relieved. He’d been worried Tis’a might not understand, but the Dragonewt had accepted it surprisingly easily.

"...For one another," Tis’a murmured, almost to himself. "For everyone’s... eggs..."

Damien froze. He couldn’t ignore what Tis’a had muttered, but for now, he decided to let it slide.

To address this, he’d probably need to dive into a conversation about reproduction—and that was far too complicated to deal with right now.

I’ll talk to Ithnan and Thalatha about this later, he resolved. He wondered how Dragonewts handled sex education.

...

"That settles it then. Zima’s proposal is rejected," Damien declared.

Although the group groaned in disappointment, it was clear no one had been fully serious about it—except for Tis’a, who gave a small but determined "Hmph!"

Damien decided it was best to clear things up before emotions got too carried away.

"So, does anyone else have any ideas?"

As Theo surveyed the room, her gaze landed on Ithnan.

"Do the Dragonewts have anything to propose?"

"As long as we can remain by Master Damien’s side, we are content no matter how the environment changes," Ithnan replied confidently, with no hesitation in his voice.