The Chosen Concubine

When the discussion about school rules, point strategies, and preliminary action plans finally came to a temporary halt, time had already quietly slipped into the dead of night.

Outside the window, the campus had fallen completely silent, with only a few scattered streetlights and the faint glow from an occasional dormitory window still visible.

"Well, it's getting late. Everyone's worked hard today."

Mazumi Mami glanced at the clock on the wall and spoke gently to the three girls. "You should head back and get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

Yet, as his words faded, the expected farewells and departures never came.

Chisato Nishikigi, Runa Inoue, and Walnut remained seated in their spots, exchanging subtle glances with each other, none of them moving.

Under the warm yellow lamplight, a faint, barely noticeable blush crept across their fair cheeks in unison, and the atmosphere suddenly grew awkward and still.

"Hm?"

Mazumi Mami sensed something off and looked at them with confusion. "What's wrong? Your expressions... seem a bit strange."

"Ahem..."

Walnut cleared her throat first, her gaze wandering as her fingers unconsciously twirled a strand of hair at her temple. She looked uncharacteristically flustered. "Th-this kind of thing... it's probably better for you to say it, Chisato."

She quickly passed the "hot potato" off.

"That's right," Runa Inoue immediately chimed in, sitting straighter and more rigidly than usual. Her purple eyes lowered, fixed on her hands clasped tightly on her knees, her voice softer than normal.

"Chisato, you're the most outgoing and lively. With something like this... you probably wouldn't have much of a mental burden. It's best if you explain it."

Runa Inoue said.

"Hey, hey! You two!"

Chisato Nishikigi, suddenly put on the spot, widened her amber eyes as a flush rapidly spread across her face. She protested.

"Sure, I'm a bit carefree usually, but I've got a delicate side too, okay! I'm still a girl! Something like this... there's no way I'd have no burden!"

Chisato Nishikigi said.

The three girls pushed and deferred to each other, their blushes growing more pronounced, and an indescribable, ambiguous atmosphere thick with shyness, anticipation, and tension filled the air.

Mazumi Mami grew even more puzzled by their rare reaction. He furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze sweeping between them. "So... what exactly are you talking about? Is there some difficulty?"

The three girls fell silent for a few more seconds. Finally, Chisato Nishikigi took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, and lifted her flushed face to look at Mazumi Mami.

"Alright, fine... th-then... I'll explain."

Her voice trembled at first, but she tried to steady it.

"Your Highness, actually... the three of us came here not only to assist you with the infiltration investigation mission entrusted by the Empire, but also... the palace gave us another... special task."

Chisato Nishikigi's voice grew quieter and quieter, until it was almost as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and her eyes began to dart away.

"A special task?"

Mazumi Mami's heart stirred. He had a vague guess, but he wasn't sure.

"Yes... before we left, besides training in combat, intelligence, etiquette, and the like, we also... received additional... specialized guidance from a senior matron in the palace."

Chisato Nishikigi's face was now as red as a ripe apple. She bit her lower lip, her voice barely audible. "It was about... about... serving in the bedchamber..."

"About what?"

Mazumi Mami leaned forward slightly, listening intently.

He had actually heard her clearly, but the suddenness of the information made him instinctively want to confirm it.

Chisato Nishikigi, however, thought he really hadn't heard. Flustered and embarrassed, a surge of courage—or perhaps a reckless impulse to just get it over with—rose within her. She closed her eyes and shouted it out:

"It's about knowledge of how to serve in the bedchamber!"

Her crisp, clear voice echoed in the quiet room, as if with a reverberation.

"..."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Mazumi Mami was completely stunned. Even though his mental maturity far surpassed that of his peers, he was still thrown off by such a blunt statement, and his ears involuntarily began to heat up.

As for Chisato Nishikigi, who had shouted it out, she wished she could crawl into a hole in the ground. She covered her face with both hands, leaving only a pair of watery, amber eyes peeking through her fingers, on the verge of tears from sheer embarrassment.

On the other side, Runa Inoue had already turned her head away, pretending to study the patterns on the wall intently. But her hand, gripping an empty drink cup, trembled uncontrollably, her fingertips turning white.

From Mazumi Mami's angle, he could see the flush spreading across her cheek and neck, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor.

Walnut, meanwhile, had buried her entire face behind the laptop in her arms, revealing only her smooth, flaxen hair and... two adorable ears that were red enough to drip blood.

Her fingers tapped the keyboard with faint, meaningless sounds, clearly betraying her inner turmoil.

Ambiguity, shyness, tension, and a faint trace of anticipation... a complex aura enveloped the entire room, making the air feel thick and warm.

"Ahem... ahem..."

Mazumi Mami finally snapped out of his shock. He coughed awkwardly, trying to say something to ease the mood, but he couldn't find the right words.

After all, he was just a sixteen-year-old boy. Faced with such a direct topic about intimate relations, he couldn't remain completely unaffected.

"Maybe we can talk about this later. It's already very late..."

Mazumi Mami attempted to change the subject.

"That won't do, Your Highness. This is our mission."

Runa Inoue spoke.

"If it's a mission, there's no need to force it."

"Besides, there's the curfew rule. Though there's no regulation against girls staying overnight in the boys' dormitory, it's better to be cautious."

Mazumi Mami said.

"It's not just the mission. We also truly want to grow closer to Your Highness."

"As for the curfew, don't worry. I'll use spatial teleportation to bring the person Your Highness selects here."

Though embarrassed, Runa Inoue still said it.

"Runa's right, Your Highness. We've been looking forward to this moment since we were children. All our training has been for you."

"Not just for a mission like this, but because of you."

Walnut said.

"That's right, Your Highness. Make your choice. Even though we were shy during the palace matron's training back then, thinking it was for Your Highness, we still learned all sorts of knowledge."

"All for this moment."

"You can't run away, Your Highness. We've been waiting for this for a long time."

Chisato Nishikigi said.

The three of them spoke with utmost seriousness.

Clearly, they weren't joking.

So, after the initial burst of embarrassment, Chisato Nishikigi seemed to throw caution to the wind.

She lowered her hands from her face, and though her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes became unusually serious and determined, staring straight at Mazumi Mami:

"Th-this is all a part of what Your Highness, as the empire's heir, must... must learn and experience! So, Your Highness, please choose! Among the three of us... who will go first tonight...?"

Her voice trembled, but her tone was resolute, as if carrying out a solemn duty.

Similarly, Walnut and Runa slowly lifted their heads.

Walnut adjusted her glasses. Behind the lenses, her blue eyes shimmered with moisture, shy yet holding an unyielding persistence.

Runa Inoue also turned back, her violet eyes gazing deeply at Mazumi Mami. Though the blush on her face hadn't faded, her posture grew more upright, as if awaiting an important command.

The attitude of the three was unmistakable—this was no joke, but a "mission" they had earnestly accepted and prepared to execute, and it carried the long-held emotions and hopes deep in their hearts.

Mazumi Mami looked at the three girls who had grown up with him since childhood, closer than family yet beyond master and servant. The tension, shyness, determination, and anticipation intertwined in their eyes stirred a complex warmth and sense of responsibility in his heart.

He knew this wasn't just the palace's arrangement, but an expression of their true feelings.

After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice and make it gentle.

"Alright, I understand."

He spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping evenly over the three. "Since it's... a necessary step, and unavoidable. Then, as for the specific order..."

He paused, under their tense stares, and continued: "Let's decide by the fairest method—drawing lots. In my heart, you three are equally important, with no priority. Let fate decide the first order. How about that?"

This proposal eased the tense atmosphere a little.

"Yeah... that works."

Chisato Nishikigi murmured, seeming relieved, yet with a hint of regret.

"Honestly... I'm a bit relieved."

Walnut said softly, patting her burning cheeks.

"Yeah..."

Runa Inoue nodded slightly, her tense shoulders relaxing.

Though they were like sisters, subtle competition secretly lingered among them. Deciding by drawing lots—a seemingly casual yet absolutely fair method—was an acceptable way for them to avoid direct comparison and awkwardness.

"But," Mazumi Mami shifted the topic, a faint trace of embarrassment appearing on his face.

"As for the... sleeping together... let's start from tomorrow or another time. Everyone's been busy today, gathering intel, analyzing and discussing—we're all mentally and physically exhausted. The first time... should be when both sides are full of energy and in better condition. Besides..."

He rarely fumbled for words, rubbing the back of his neck, showing a slightly awkward youthful smile.

"To be honest, I also need a little time... to mentally prepare. Hearing this all of a sudden, I'm also... embarrassed."

This candid, shy admission actually eased much of the tension and shyness in the three girls' hearts, even stirring a gentle desire to take care of his feelings.

"Yeah... that makes sense."

Chisato Nishikigi nodded, the blush on her face fading slightly.

"We really are tired today."

Walnut agreed, her voice regaining some of its usual calm.

"Then... let's talk about it tomorrow."

Runa Inoue responded softly, a flicker of relief and faint anticipation passing through her eyes.

This decision met with the silent consensus of the girls.

They, too, needed time to digest and prepare. After all, for them, this was also an extremely important and unfamiliar first in their lives.

The ambiguous and tense atmosphere gradually transformed into a gentler, more subtle intimacy.

The four of them chatted briefly a little longer, and then it was truly time to part ways.

Runa Inoue used her spatial ability to silently send Walnut and Chisato back to their rooms on the upper girls' floor, leaving last herself.

When Room 601 was finally left with only Mazumi Mami, he stood by the window, gazing at the quiet night outside, and let out a soft breath.

The tangled thoughts in his mind—about the school's cruel rules, about future action strategies, about the new relationship about to be crossed with the three girls—intertwined.

This night was destined, on many levels, to be a long and significant beginning.

And their "daily life" and "extraordinary missions" within this special school would officially raise the curtain on a stage full of challenges and unknowns with the arrival of dawn.