Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 664

After the meeting ended and the portrait of Amon and me was nearly finished, the sun had already begun to set by the time we were finally free to move.

Honestly, wouldn’t it have been better to prioritize field surveys and inspections over the portrait?

Amon and I exchanged exasperated glances, but meanwhile, preparations were underway inside the chieftain’s residence for a social gathering involving the Baldia delegation, the foxkin, the bearfolk, and the bovinefolk.

According to Capella, who rejoined us, she had already coordinated with the bovine nobles to confirm survey sites and adjust schedules.

As she put it, *"Your travels are far from over, so please take this evening’s gathering as a chance to rest."*

The portrait session had been unexpected, but she seemed to be kindly giving us a break while she could.

Amon and I didn’t even have time to change out of our bovine-style attire before joining the gathering.

Given that I, an Imperial, and Amon, a foxkin, were wearing bovine clothing—even for cultural exchange—it was apparently unusual enough that we drew attention for a while.

However, for me, this gathering with the bovine and some bearfolk nobles ended up being one of the most shocking experiences yet.

First, the sheer amount of food laid out on the banquet tables was staggering—no, that’s an understatement.

Even calling it *"extra-large portions"* wouldn’t do it justice. Every dish was piled high, overwhelmingly so.

Even though it was a standing buffet-style event, there was no way anyone could eat this much.

Just looking at it all made me feel full.

But my surprise didn’t end there.

During the meeting, everyone had been seated, and afterward, I was immediately whisked away to the portrait session, so I hadn’t fully processed it until now—

Every single bovine and bearfolk noble in the room was *tall* and *broad*.

The adult men of both tribes stood well over seven shaku (around 210 cm), if not more.

Even the shortest among them matched or exceeded my father’s height.

Conversations required constantly looking upward, making my neck and shoulders ache from the strain.

Meanwhile, the bovine women had smaller, curved horns and fluffy side-facing ears.

Their heights varied wildly, ranging from five shaku (150 cm) to just under seven shaku (210 cm).

But one thing they all shared was a certain… *prominent* upper-body feature.

To put it bluntly, they were *voluminous* and exuded an overwhelming sense of maternal warmth.

When a tall bovine woman stood in front of me, I naturally had to look up to meet her eyes.

But in doing so, my gaze was inevitably drawn downward—making things awkward.

They probably didn’t mean anything by it, so I subtly took a step back during conversations.

*"Lord Lid, and Lord Amon as well—all the children from different races are so small and adorable! If you don’t mind, may I give you a hug?"*

*"Ahaha… This is a public setting, and with so many eyes on us, I’ll have to decline. But I appreciate the sentiment."*

The bovine women seemed to take great pride in their physiques, their maternal instincts strong and their love for cute things undeniable.

Several made similar offers, but Amon and I could only scratch our cheeks and politely refuse.

Since these were noblewomen, outright rejection wasn’t an option.

The first time it happened, I panicked, unsure how to respond.

Thankfully, Hapis stepped in to help—though he took his sweet time doing so.

The way his lips curled made it clear he was enjoying our discomfort from afar.

*Hapis, you bastard. I won’t forget this.*

Come to think of it, Imperial women were considered tall by continental standards.

But I doubted any race could rival the bovine women in height and… *presence*.

The bearfolk women might come close, but since only men were present tonight, I couldn’t verify.

Comparing them to the dark elves of Renalt—who were generally shorter and slimmer than Imperials—the difference was stark.

Though, from what I remembered, dark elves had refined, elegant features regardless of gender.

Incidentally, my mother, an Imperial, was tall and well-proportioned—slender, even.

Fara, my dark elf wife, had delicate, doll-like features.

Given how stunning her mother, Queen Eltia, was, Fara would undoubtedly grow into a breathtaking beauty.

And with Baldia’s nutritious diet, she might even grow taller.

…I suddenly missed her.

I wished she could have come with us.

But even though she married into Baldia, Fara was still Renalt royalty.

Given the political tensions between the Empire and Renalt, she was effectively a *hostage*—long trips weren’t permitted.

It was frustrating, but this was beyond my control for now.

Still, one day, I’d wield enough influence to change that.

If I could gain the power to prevent Baldia’s future downfall, Fara would be free to travel with me.

That’s why I was touring the tribal lands—to prepare for that future.

Maybe I’d write her a letter after this meeting.

That said…

I discreetly scanned the bovine women in the room.

Not that I expected her to be here, but if my mother were present, she might’ve been a little… *annoyed*.

*"Lid. Did you say something?"*

*"Oh? So this is the kind of woman you like, Lord Lid?"*

*"Brother… I’m a little disappointed."*

*"Lord Lid, it’s improper to stare like that."*

*"Brother Lid… You’re disgusting."*

Suddenly, the icy voices of my mother, Fara, Mel, Tis, and Citri echoed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

I frantically looked around, but of course, none of them were here.

*"Ah…"*

But I *did* lock eyes with Chris, Tink, and Emma—all of whom were glaring at me.

Especially Tink and Emma. Their gazes were… *dark*.

*"Ahaha…"* I forced a laugh and bowed slightly in their direction.

Something told me I *had* to.

As the greetings and small talk with the nobles settled down, a group of young bovine ladies—around my and Amon’s age—approached us.

This was becoming a pattern.

But they, too, had their positions to consider.

Careful not to offend, I exchanged pleasantries while subtly steering the conversation toward *how much I adored my wife, Fara*.

Glancing at Tink from the corner of my eye—who was standing a short distance away—I boasted about Fara just as her late husband, Cross, had once proudly gushed about *her*.

Tink seemed to catch on, covering her mouth as she giggled. *"Fufu… Lord Lid, you sound just like my foolish husband."*

Was it embarrassing to publicly proclaim my love for Fara?

Well… *maybe a little*.

But it was the truth, and more importantly, establishing myself as *"hopelessly devoted to his wife"* would deter marriage proposals and protect the reputations of the ladies approaching me.

*"We tried our luck with Lid Baldia, but the rumors were true—he’s utterly smitten. There’s no opening whatsoever."*

This way, the ladies could save face, and those pushing them could write it off as a *"long shot"* anyway.

High expectations led to harsh backlash if failed—but with a *long shot*, the fallout was minimal.

Amon looked dumbfounded at first, but when I quietly explained my reasoning, his eyes widened in realization. *"Ah! Smart."*

From then on, he started *asking the ladies for advice* on how to win over his fiancée, *"Tis Baldia."*

Since Tis was technically my stepsister, hearing him talk like that was… *complicated*.

Later in the gathering, I managed to chat with Hapis and Kamui, requesting their knowledge on *Beastification*—using *Type-kun* as leverage, just like with the raccoon-folk.

They agreed to share the knowledge but, like before, refused to spar with me, citing *"political and cultural sensitivities."*

Since this involved Zubera’s internal affairs, I didn’t press further.

Just obtaining the knowledge was enough.

As the gathering neared its end, I noticed something that made me do a double-take.

*"Wh—…?!"*

The mountains of food that had once covered the banquet tables—the same ones that seemed impossible to finish just by *looking* at them—

Were *completely gone*.

Only empty plates remained.

And to make it worse, many nobles were now carrying large *takeaway bundles*.

*How much can they possibly eat?!*

*"Ahh, the food was delicious today. But I’m still a little peckish."*

*"Indeed, dear. Though I heard they prepared more than usual since we had guests."*

*"Father, Mother! I’m still hungry!"*

*"Well then, how about we cook more at home? We’ve got plenty of leftovers."*

*"Yay! I love your cooking, Mother!"*

A nearby noble family’s cheerful conversation made my ears twitch in disbelief.

*They’re still going to eat more?!*

No—more importantly, the *entire family* was *still* not full?!

*No wonder there’s a food shortage…*