Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 680

"You look great, Amon."

"You too, Rid."

"You both suit each other perfectly."

As Amon and I, now dressed in Ratman traditional attire, exchanged shy glances, Kapella bowed slightly.

We were currently in the guest room of the Ratman chieftain's residence, waiting for Chris to finish changing.

For reference, the outfits Amon and I were wearing consisted of white frilled shirts, black vests with red trim, and knee-length black coats embroidered with red patterns.

Our pants were off-white, slightly loose, and reached just below the knees.

There were black round-brimmed hats prepared, but wearing them indoors felt a bit odd, so Kapella was holding onto them for now.

While the Ratman women's clothing was vibrant and cute, the men's outfits had a more subdued, complementary style.

Seeing them side by side created an interesting contrast—I’d love to see Father and Mother dressed like this.

Well, I’ve already arranged for that, anyway.

"Still, Lady Chris seems to be taking her time changing," Amon remarked, glancing at the door as he took a seat.

"Yeah. But she was pretty fired up about the 'business opportunity,' so she’s probably asking all sorts of questions while getting dressed."

"Haha, true. Lady Chris isn’t one to let any chance slip by."

Amon chuckled but then turned serious.

"Still, we’d better be careful around Christie Trading—she’ll take everything if given the chance. She’s a terrifying opponent. I’m surprised you managed to forge a connection with her, Rid. Who introduced you two?"

"Ah, well… There’s a butler in Baldia named Galun. I asked him to recommend a promising trading company with potential markets beyond the Empire."

"That’s quite the request. So your habit of making unreasonable demands started that early, huh?"

Amon’s eyes widened as if he’d just realized something.

That makes it sound like I’m always making ridiculous requests.

That’s unfair—I only ask people who are actually capable!

I puffed out my cheeks and glared at him.

"Hey, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?"

"Sorry, sorry. Maybe I worded that poorly. But this Galun guy… he doesn’t seem ordinary. What kind of person is he?"

When asked to describe Galun, I hesitated.

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t actually know much about him.

He’d served under Baldia’s previous head, but I’d never asked about his background or how he became a butler.

"...Well, he’s extremely competent at his job, and I suspect he’s also highly skilled in martial arts. Kapella probably knows more about Galun than I do."

When Kapella first came to Baldia, he’d learned the ropes of butlering under Galun.

However, Kapella shook his head slightly.

"Galun-sama rarely speaks of himself. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about him either."

"Huh, even more intriguing. If I get the chance to visit Baldia again, I’ll have to ask him myself. Maybe he knows some good candidates to send to the Foxmen."

"No way. If there were people like that, they’d obviously be working for *us* first."

"I know, I know. Just joking."

I glared at him, and Amon shrugged with a resigned expression.

Before long, we both burst out laughing, filling the room with a warm atmosphere.

Just then, the door was knocked on politely.

"Lord Rid, Lord Amon. It’s Chris. May I come in?"

"Yeah, sure."

At my response to Chris’s unusually hesitant voice, the door opened with a quiet, "Pardon the intrusion."

"S-sorry for keeping you waiting. It took a little longer to change than expected..."

Chris stood there, looking somewhat embarrassed.

She was, as planned, now wearing Ratman attire.

Normally, Chris carried herself with a sharp, dignified air.

But clad in the Ratmen’s bright, adorable clothing, she somehow looked like an innocent young girl.

That said… there was one *very* noticeable issue.

Her clothes looked… tight. Like, *really* tight.

"Uh, yeah. You always look elegant and beautiful, but that outfit’s cute too. It really suits you, Chris."

"Y-yeah. But you seem a bit stiff. Is the clothing that hard to move in?"

Amon seemed to have the same question as me.

When he followed up, Chris scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Well, they prepared a larger size based on what the Bearmen told them, but it’s still a bit snug overall. Especially… ah, no, never mind."

The way her gaze dropped made it obvious what she meant, and suddenly, the memory of the *shower incident* replayed in my mind.

I shook my head vigorously, feeling my face heat up, and forced a loud, exaggerated nod.

"Ah, I get it! It’s just that Chris’s figure is *too* good!"

"Eh…?!"

Chris paled and immediately started shaking her head in a panic.

Just as I tilted my head in confusion, a petite girl wrapped in a dark aura emerged from behind Chris with a smile.

She must’ve been hidden by Chris’s figure before.

"Oh? So Lord Rid is implying that the Ratmen’s figures are *lacking*? Is that what you’re *subtly* suggesting?"

"Wha—?!"

The girl was none other than Chieftain Luva Gandarsika herself.

Behind Chris, Emma and Tink wore exasperated expressions.

I instinctively looked to Amon for help, but he just gave a strained laugh and averted his eyes.

Next, I turned to Kapella, but he remained expressionless, merely shifting his gaze sideways.

*Et tu, Kapella?*

Actually, forget Amon—*you’re* supposed to be on my side!

"Lord Rid, are you saying that despite my age, I look childish, short, stubby, flat-chested, and ill-tempered?"

"N-no, that’s not what I meant at all!"

Despite her smile, Luva’s glare was terrifying as she closed the distance between us.

Our similar heights somehow made it even scarier. And honestly, I don’t remember saying any of that.

Actually… her angry aura kinda reminds me of Fara… Wait, no, this isn’t the time for that!

"Oh? Then what *did* you mean?"

Luva’s eyes remained locked onto mine.

"W-well, I meant it literally! Chris is tall for a woman, and anyone can see she has a great figure! And you, Chief Luva, have such striking features too!"

"My, Lord Rid, you’re quite the smooth talker."

Though her eyes remained narrowed, the dark aura around Luva seemed to fade slightly.

Up close, her sharp gaze and intelligent black eyes exuded a strong will.

Though petite, her fair features were dignified.

Her gray hair fluffed out softly, and between the strands peeked large, rounded beast ears.

I took in all these details in an instant, desperately formulating my next words.

One wrong phrase, and this meeting could end in disaster.

Luva, known as the Beast King’s right hand.

Given her influence, failing these negotiations wasn’t an option—not if I wanted to avoid future repercussions.

"Not at all! While you may be petite and youthful-looking as you said, Chief Luva, your gaze and words alone show remarkable intellect. The strong will you mentioned is exactly what a leader needs. Anyone who can’t recognize that isn’t worth your time. That’s what I believe. A-and also…"

"Also…? What else?"

Under her piercing stare, I smiled awkwardly and answered.

"You… remind me of my wife, Fara. From my perspective, you radiate both charm and intelligence."

This was something I’d felt since we first met.

Of course, Luva and Fara were clearly of different ages.

But their roles—being sharp, dependable supporters—were similar.

Including the dark aura and sharp glares, I sometimes wondered if Fara would grow up to have Luva’s presence.

"You think… I resemble your wife, Lady Fara? That I’m intelligent and charming…?"

Luva tilted her head slightly, studying me intently.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

…Wait, did I just step on an *even bigger* landmine?!