Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 280: Damien’s Complicated Affections

"Really, Damien," Leonide said with a faint smile. "He’s been through so much hardship. Why not try the opposite? Spoil him. Your idea might be worth a shot."

What? That idea?

"W-Wait, I was kidding..." Damien stammered.

He had only meant to lighten the mood.

Now, everyone seemed to be taking him seriously.

"Really? But honestly, I think it’s a pretty solid idea. Right now, the most important thing is healing his wounded heart. Showering him with affection—or, to put it another way, helping him heal—is a completely valid approach," Theo said, nodding.

The others all nodded in agreement, their expressions serious.

Now that he thought about it, Damien realized they might have a point.

While Augusto’s situation wasn’t something he could truly compare his own experiences to, Damien knew that when he’d gone through difficult times, he’d wanted someone to lean on as well.

"Especially since when Damien spoils someone, he goes all out—down to the marrow. I think it’ll be highly effective," Leonide added.

D-Did they all have to nod so vigorously?

Well, Damien thought to himself, if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his ability to pamper others.

When he decided to spoil someone, he made sure to go all in.

As Damien stood there with an inexplicable smug expression, Zima handed him a slip of paper.

"What’s this?" Damien asked, noticing something written on it.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t read it yet.

"Uh, Theo, could you read this for me?" he asked, passing the paper to her.

Theo nodded and took the slip, his eyes scanning it quickly.

Hus expression shifted slightly, as though s

he had just realized something clever.

"Zima’s proposal," he began, clearing his throat. "’Have the master sleep with him, and they’ll become closer.’"

What?!

Damien’s mind blanked for a moment as he stared at Zima.

The others, meanwhile, looked as if they were seriously considering the idea.

"No," Damien said flatly.

"Well, I suppose that sort of thing would be better saved for after they’re already close," Theo admitted.

"Obviously!" Damien shot back. "I mean, what kind of logic is that—thinking sleeping with me one time would magically fix everything?"

The incident with Leonide?

Damien decided to ignore that memory entirely.

"Let’s just start with something simple, like taking a bath together," Theo suggested.

"That’s also a no," Damien said firmly.

The four retainers looked far too enthusiastic about the idea, and Damien had a sinking feeling this could spiral out of control if he didn’t shut it down immediately.

...

With the basic plan decided, the group moved on to detailed discussions.

For this, Damien had Isaac join them.

Camilla was asked to wait in the adjacent room with Augusto.

They had reluctantly used a stronger incense to help Augusto fall asleep.

It felt a little bit harsh, but according to Sebas, "For those wounded in spirit—like soldiers on the battlefield—sleep is the best remedy."

It seemed like a sound approach.

Damien still found Sebas’s past shrouded in mystery, but he chose not to dwell on it.

Sebas’s advice made sense; what Augusto needed most right now was rest, free from troubling thoughts.

Still, Damien couldn’t help but wonder why Lucian happened to have such a strong incense on hand.

When Damien had casually asked about it earlier, Lucian had seemed unusually flustered.

Could it be that Lucian sometimes struggled to sleep as well?

Damien made a mental note to talk with him about it later.

For now, though, the focus was on Augusto.

With Isaac—a figure close to Augusto—present, Damien thought it was the perfect opportunity to gather more insight.

"First things first," Damien began, gesturing toward Isaac, "Theo, this is Isaac, who will be working here as a servant starting today. Isaac, you may already know, but this is Lord Theo, the owner of this estate." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The introduction had been delayed amidst the shock of Augusto’s condition, so Damien decided to address it now.

Even if Isaac and Theo were acquainted, noble protocol dictated that formal introductions be made before any acknowledgment of familiarity.

Nobility really did come with its fair share of tiresome rules.

Damien had already introduced Isaac to Leonide, Zima, Ithnan, and Yor earlier.

That left only the Elyon and Elyric, which they can meet him later.

Isaac stepped forward and bowed his head politely. "I am Isaac Bühner, a servant of the Crowell household," he said formally.

Isaac, who had been so visibly shaken when he first saw Augusto, now appeared composed, offering a graceful bow.

"Theo Caelum Rhys Dalehaven," Theo introduced himself with a dignified nod.

With the introductions complete, Damien prepared to move on to the main discussion—until Theo added something unexpected.

"I am also Damien’s lover."

"Theo?!" Damien exclaimed.

What on earth was she saying out of the blue?

"Damien, as a servant of the Crowell household, this is something he needs to know," Theo replied calmly.

Well, that might be true in a sense, but surely she could have given Damien some time to prepare for such an announcement.

"Besides," Theo continued, "he already knows. This much is common knowledge."

...Now that she mentioned it, Isaac did look entirely unfazed.

While it was possible he was simply hiding his shock well, it was more likely that he had already been aware.

After all, Damien’s connection to Theo seemed to be an open secret in his household.

Even the merchant at the slave shop had deduced their relationship after hearing Damien’s name.

Just as Damien was beginning to accept this revelation, Theo dropped an even bigger bombshell.

"Additionally, aside from you, everyone else in this room—oh, and the Dragonewt by the door—are also Damien’s lovers."

"Theo?!"

The room included Leonide, Lucian, Ithnan, Zima, and the Dragonewt guard, Tis’a.

Hearing this, Isaac finally raised an eyebrow in surprise.

...Although, technically speaking, Damien hadn’t done anything with Tis’a yet.

Could he not be included in that count?

Even as Damien wrestled with a strange mix of resignation and exasperation, Theo pressed on with yet another revelation.