The heroic and handsome Prince Charming maintained a solemn expression, striking his chest with a clenched fist as he spoke with absolute resolution.
"I, Faust Qingxi, declare that the purpose of my life is to bring happiness to the girls I love. Everything I do is for this goal, for the sake of pursuing sincere feelings."
"So please, do not speak of making a choice. You are all my indispensable soulmates!"
Indeed, this was the solution Faust had devised to handle the witch romantic battlefield.
To put it bluntly: he wanted them all.
It was true that the first witch he encountered, Viviana, did not particularly care about sharing, but Snow White undoubtedly did.
What would happen if he fell in love with other witches later? What if they cared too?
Not everyone possessed a personality as great as Cinderella.
Should he flutter between flowers, claiming he was just playing with others while being serious only with one, like some master of time management?
How could that be! Deceiving emotions was the ultimate taboo. Faust wouldn't dare do such a thing even if he were given a hundred times more courage. In this fairy tale world, a scumbag would literally be struck by divine lightning. To play with a witch's heart would lead to a fate worse than soul-scattering.
How many lives did he think he had to play such a game?
Thus, he had to be honest. One must be serious about feelings; the idea that love is the greatest thing in the world was no joke.
The choice presented moments ago was clearly a trap. No matter who Faust chose, it would be the wrong answer.
Do not be fooled by the intense rivalry between the two Midwinter princesses; if Faust truly made a selection, his favorability rating would likely plummet rather than rise.
As expected, after hearing Faust's bold declaration, Selena crossed her arms and sneered.
"To speak of philandering in such grand, high-sounding terms... it truly is just like you."
However, in the eyes of someone familiar with Selena, the long, black-haired girl was merely feigning anger.
Lola, beneath her veil, gazed tenderly at Faust and bit her lip slightly.
"Such a flirtatious boy..."
Seeing this, Faust felt a surge of joy and continued to emphasize his point.
"You are all my true partners in life and death! Whether it is authority or wealth, I am willing to share it with all my lovers!"
Viviana reminded him, "Those are rights belonging to a main wife. By regulation, given Your Highness's status, you can only marry multiple concubines..."
Before the girl could finish, Faust interrupted her with righteous indignation. "Rules? Whose rules? I get angry just looking at this kind of feudal etiquette!"
In this fairy tale world where the Rites prevailed, the marriage of an occult noble was a matter of great ceremony. A common noble could take one wife and three concubines. A prince of a kingdom, aside from a main wife, could take five or six concubines.
This was also why Faust, back when his mind had been clouded, had insisted on breaking his engagement with Viviana.
The positions of consort were precious, and the position of the main wife even more so; each was a valuable resource for political alliance.
But the mistakes of his past ignorance were over. Now that Faust was essentially a master of the destiny domain, he raised his fist.
"If the rules of the secular world oppose our union, then I shall shatter those rules. If anyone dares to point fingers at our relationship, I will crush their spines until the only sound left is praise!"
The prince regent's words carried such weight that no listener would dare doubt his determination.
Though they didn't say it aloud and never cared much for legalities, the man's stance undoubtedly left the girls extremely satisfied.
Selena wore a faint smile, twirling a strand of her black hair around a fair finger.
"That sounds nice, but there is still one problem."
The black-haired beauty looked at Lola and Viviana, lowering her eyes as she smiled.
"Authority, wealth, the gaze of others... why should we care about those things? Do you not know the real reason we vie for the status of the primary partner?"
Witches might have various eccentricities in their personalities, but one thing was certain: as the heroines of fairy tales, they were 'beautiful.' Not just in appearance, but their hearts would never be tainted by the foulness of the mundane world.
Witches were quite simple; they had no thoughts other than living happily ever after with the prince.
"Of course I know. You fear that I will favor one over the others."
Faust nodded frankly. "But I will prove through my actions that your concerns are entirely unnecessary. No matter how much you demand, I can satisfy you."
How to suppress the jealousy between witches and keep their competition at a stage that was competitive but not destructive was a massive problem.
Even though every witch would fall hopelessly in love with the prince, Faust, it was for that very reason they would never easily yield. Even those as close as Selena and Lola would turn against each other for his sake, let alone strangers.
Faust had actually thought of a clever trick: spending a blessing to have Mephistopheles place a 'curse' on him, erasing his memory every so often so he could 'pretend to have amnesia.'
Then he could act like the dense protagonist of a romantic comedy, pretending not to know the girls' feelings while continuing to go on adventures and attract more women.
Mephistopheles had even approved of this method, guessing it was feasible. Such a popular romantic comedy trope would fit the category of an 'interesting story,' and the wheel of destiny likely wouldn't restrict it too strictly.
But Faust had rejected it. Such an act of escapism was utterly irresponsible and ridiculous.
Acts of cowardice shall not be tolerated!
Rather than a utilitarian approach, Faust cared more about whether his own heart was clear.
Therefore, he chose a more masculine way to handle it.
The prince's cold, reddish-brown eyes scanned his surroundings. Facing the three witches, he took a deep breath and spoke.
"All of you, come at me together."
"Hmm?"
Viviana was the first to realize what Faust's abrupt words implied. She took a step closer and asked in a low voice.
"Your Highness, are you... joking?"
The prince who had been confined in a basement for three months wanted to try something new? Stop making your sister Viviana laugh.
Faust gave his childhood friend a meaningful look.
"When people have been away for a while, you must look at them with fresh eyes, Viviana."
In the past, Faust wouldn't have dared to do this. Cinderella alone was enough to remind him of the meaning of fear.
But now, the great thunder mark within him wouldn't allow him to retreat even an inch.
Yielding to women? What a joke! How could the absolute Father God show weakness before them?
Use your masculine side to completely conquer them!
Yes, great thunder, I have understood your dominance. I have known your ambition. Now, let us begin!
"Faust, you..."
Selena and Lola looked at each other, eventually understanding Faust's meaning. It was as if they had heard something hilarious.
"Are you treating us like the maids in your court?"
Faust didn't bother wasting more words and moved straight to provocation.
"Or are you afraid? Selena, you weren't like this two days ago. Then again, perhaps your courage is only so-so, otherwise you wouldn't have stopped at just a taste."
Having her secret actions of the past two days exposed, the black-haired beauty felt like her toes had been stepped on, and her fair face turned a deep red.
"You... you knew?!"
Faust replied, "Yes, I knew all along."
Seeing this, Lola stepped behind the black-haired girl and spoke gloomily.
"Selena... while I was busy handling trifles, you actually sneaked a taste."
Knowing she was in the wrong, Selena didn't dare meet Lola's eyes. Instead, she turned her indignant and embarrassed gaze toward Faust.
"I only wanted to save the best memories for later. Since you dare to mock me like this, I cannot act as though I didn't hear what you just said."
"That's more like it."
Seeing this, Faust knew his provocation had worked. He curled his lips into a wild smirk and then... activated the great thunder mark. The surging, frantic divine thunder leaped through his limbs, bones, and veins.
His gaze swept over the enchanting, world-toppling witches. Under his provocation, they had all clearly ignited their 'fighting spirit.'
Given the degree of a witch's suppression, Faust knew this would be a fierce battle.
But so what?
Fight, fight, fight, fight! Today, the Prince of Qingxi would bring all these terrifying witches to heel!
Rate on N.U.
