"I'm just speedrunning things at this rate", Rexford muttered as a stream of familiar faces entered the large viewing hall of the imperial palace.
Once it had been used to watch stage plays by famous troupes but now, what was once a stage had been converted into a large white wall. So large that some of the seats were removed and what was left was a hall that bore a striking resemblance to expensive movie theatre's back on Earth.
Not that Rexford had spent money on going to such theatre's, after all, the price of a ticket for such a showing could buy him the DVD in full HD which he could rewatch infinitely so long as he burns the contents into a pc.
"Speedrunning?"
His words, though, had failed to evade the perception of a certain woman.
"It means going through things quickly, also, could you stop using magic to listen to my whispers?"
The third prince let out an exasperated sigh as he turned towards the crimson haired woman in an alluring evening gown.
It would be a lie to say that the dress had not captured his attention.
A full black dress that retained Delilah's favorite side slits, but, maybe it was because of the recent developments. The lack of male noble heads resulted in the hall being filled with female nobles save for the emperor and his sons.
If a photo was taken, historians of the future might use it as a reason to claim that the Imperial family of Rexford's era was drawing in lust, turning the whole of noble society into a harem.
But, such matters did not truly worry Rexford, he was instead more worried about the freedom of clothing. The fact that only the three unwed princes of the empire were attending the ceremony made many of the attending nobles get a bit risque with their dress of choice.
Delilah had even taken this opportunity to stop wearing her iconic silk stockings.
The white legs that peaked from her dress as she walked, the profile that she purposely showed off as she stood next to Rexford.
All that would have captivated any normal man, yet Delilah did not simply end it there as her dress also featured LOTS of lace.
From the side of her hips, to a portion of her chest, it was as if her dress was cut apart and the holes were stitched up with beautifully designed lace.
Moreover, she did not wear her witch hat, yet, her hair was also not left flowing, the long crimson locks had been tied into an elegant bun while a few shorter strands were left to flow freely by the side of her face nearing the front.
Normally, such a style would have been messy, especially when the hair dries out but whether she used magic or some otherworldly hair treatment, it didn't change the fact that her hair looked pretty much like it came straight out of anime.
She approached Rexford with confidence, the usual air she had did not change but the lacking layers of her cape and corset gave her a different image. To Rexford who was used to seeing her clad in various clothes that gave her a "heavy" look, the single dress that covered her body gave Delilah a rather "sexy" appeal.
'Shit'
He felt his blood rushing down, Rexford had fortunately mastered his transformation ability to an outstanding degree which allowed him to calm his little brother enough to not show any kind of reaction.
"I wouldn't mind if you attacked me now, you know? It's not like we need to watch the movie again"
Unfortunately for Rexford, Delilah had seen through his facade and pushed forward with her teasing even more.
"How lacking in delicacy, for a woman to push herself against a man"
A mocking voice called out to Delilah and Rexford breathed a sigh of relief knowing who it was that had arrived.
Yet that relief did not last long as he immediately lost it once he saw Ortrun-
Dressed in a blue silk dress that matched her azure eyes, Rexford tried to turn his eyes away but there were some things that a man could not escape.
A form fitting backless dress with a plunging halterneck design and a high off center slit.
Unlike the dress that Delilah wore which "could" show skin with certain movements and positions, Ortrun's evening dress "always" showed skin.
Every move, every pose, whatever she did, her bare skin was revealed yet it always hid the "most important" part.
In essence, the dress was made to "tease" men, a dangerous dress that had no other purpose but to seduce and would have made Ortrun stand out or look "slutty" yet-
'Now that's power'
Rexford could only marvel at how Ortrun was able to wear the dress with so much pride and confidence that others felt small compared to her.
Despite her extremely seductive appearance, Ortrun carried that air of a ruler. It was akin to a normal man meeting a sexy female athlete. Even if the athlete was wearing a bikini that could give anyone a hard on, her mere presence would make most men turn away, not out of disgust but at an immediate sense of inferiority.
Though not all men would have such a reaction, some would prefer to take on a "submissive role" while others chased after the challenge.
Rexford was unfortunately, whether it was his previous or current personality, he was the type who preferred women with confidence.
Which was funny since he also HATED the women around him with too much confidence.
But the hate did not stem from distaste, in fact, if Rexford truly disliked them, he would have pushed them away or just ignored them. Yet the prince, even before he regained his memories chose to "keep distance".
He was not running away from the women, he was running away from the responsibility and duties that they brought along with them.
'Brother Rexford… I see now why you avoided parties'
Rexford thought to himself as he patted the back of his former self, a month had already passed since he regained his memories but his mind had still failed to completely bind together with his previous self it seems.
Although Rexford was able to act normal, there were some things, especially matters which Rexford transformed from worry into instinct that he had not completely grasped because Rexford himself chose to forget about it.
After all, actively choosing to avoid parties because he wanted to avoid getting enticed by the Duchesses made him actively think about the Duchesses.
By enforcing the idea that "Noble Balls are bad" he was able to avoid it entirely without having to think about the duchesses, it was an instinct which he acted upon subconsciously.
Yet, as his memories awakened and merged, moreover, his path that forced him to make more active moves, the things he avoided were taken by his current self as "bad habits" which he tried to "fix".
'But those weren't bad habits… just pure survival instincts…'
*Gulp*
"Oh? hm~, Rex darling, do you like what you see?"
Ortrun asked as she gave Rexford a flirtatious wink accompanied by a subtle movement leading to a rather sexy pose.
"Yes, it's a bit more tempting than your usual attire but it truly does show of your beauty Duchess"
Rexford answered calmly, but his mind was already racing as he desperately controlled his body to prevent himself from sweating or his blood from furiously rushing through his veins towards a certain region of his body.
"Thank you, but you didn't need to use words as I could already see how much you liked it"
"..."
'Crap'
Delilah went silent as her eyes turned cold, fortunately it was not directed at Rexford but at Ortrun.
"I won't mind helping you relieve your stress darling~♥️"
Ortrun ignored Delilah though as she continued to pester Rexford more and more while slowly inching closer towards him.
"Now that's something you don't see everyday"
"It was bound to happen when his highness the Third Prince's attendance was confirmed"
Two more voices inserted themselves into the group, Rexford didn't want to look but it was fortunate that he did as the two women who arrived had not worn a dress that was revealing!
In fact, their clothes were very "demure" as modern people would call it.
Gowns that matched their features, one of them Ratna Surati wore a purple evening gown matching her hair that completely covered her body save for a portion of her chest as her dress was designed with an offshoulder neckline.
Her sleeves were not that long but her evening gloves made of fine lace gave her a mix of flirtatious boldness hidden in a veil of dignified modesty.
On the other hand, her companion, Elise Albertson wore a bright sky blue silk mermaid dress with an open neckline held not by straps around her shoulders or neck but by a corset hidden within the silk. The thin corset was shaped like a heart, its two peaks forming along the chest turning it into a centerpiece of the dress while giving an illusion of larger mass.
Seeing the two, Rexford couldn't help but compare them to Delilah and Ortrun.
The two newcomers had rarely interacted with Rexford even before he regained his memories. In fact, this may be the first time they actually spoke!
"Duchess Albertson and Duchess Surati, it is a pleasure to finally meet you two"
The third prince turned to the two women and gave a bow, unexpectedly the two returned his greeting with a light bow while offering their hands.
Seeing the actions of the two, Ortrun and Delilah were about to say something and the two newcomers also realized their mistake.
Unlike Delilah and Ortrun, they rarely interacted with the Imperial family and mostly met with lower ranking men.
Yet, to the utter shock of not only Delilah and Ortrun but also the two newcomers and a few women, maid and knights who witnessed the scene-
"..."
"..."
Everyone was stunned to see Rexford accepting their hands and returning them with a kiss.
It was a common gesture, one that had many meanings but Rexford's actions caused an immediate stir.
After getting over the shock, whispers started echoing through the halls and Delilah secretly clenched her fist the moment Rexford turned towards her with a devious smirk.
"Oh my, forgive me but I simply acted on instinct! I have little experience in such social gatherings and relied solely on the lessons I could only faintly recall. Though, since neither Ortrun nor Delilah offered their hands, I should have immediately known of it but, alas…"
Rexford acted shocked as if realizing an error as he spoke to the two ladies. In response, Ratna was the first to answer, denying any fault on Rexford's side.
"No no no, your highness Rexford need not mind such trifles, it was our fault offering our hands on instinct as well. We rarely meet with members of the imperial family after all"
"Indeed, it was our mistake that led his highness to make an error!", Elise followed along.
Rexford continued his act as he dropped his "high strung" air and relaxed his tone but still spoke with a little bit of "noble elegance".
"I see! Then let's consider this matter settled! It was merely a fault of inexperience… But, I do have to say, I didn't think that I would have a lot of similarities with Duchess Surati and Duchess Albertson… no, would it be fine for me to call you ladies by your first names?"
The final question he asked completely dropped the honorifics, he had even forgotten taking their positions into consideration.
If done by others, such an act would be a punishable offense but when done by Rexford, the meaning behind his words and actions were different.
Evidently, the effects were taken in with glee by the two women who found themselves suddenly climbing up the ladder in the battle for Rexford. Elise and Ratna had long accepted the possibility of being ignored and forgotten, but Rexford's actions had changed the tides!
"Of course! It would be our honor to be granted such honor, your highness!"
"Oh please, drop the honorifics, I have long given up my stakes for the throne. No need to treat me like the emperor!"
Rexford suddenly had a pleasant conversation with the two newcomers and using them, he boasted about the movie as he offered his arms to the two ladies who took them with glee.
Ortrun and Delilah had already made plans to forcefully get those places but Rexford's actions made them lose the initiative.
As Rexford vanished from their sights into the viewing hall, the two women left by Rexford could only sigh.
"He's gotten better hasn't he?", Ortrun complained, the Rexford she knew was wary of everyone. He could have had such confidence only when talking with low ranking noblewomen and commoners yet he always hesitated when speaking with high ranking nobles.
It was not out of fear for their influence but more an act of caution against potential infighting between the Empire Nobility. After all, the low ranking nobles could be easily controlled and subdued but the high ranking nobles were a different matter altogether.
"I wonder whose fault it is?", yet, unlike Ortrun, Delilah asked a simple question while turning her gaze towards the dragonewt who showed off too much skin.
Ortrun knew what Delilah was talking about, aside from her, Ortrun was the only other woman who had close contact with Rexford outside of his usual group of maids and lovers.
"Hm~ I do wonder~"
But Ortrun simply played dumb over the matter.
'You succubus bitch, you think I didn't know about the matters with the crown prince? You have a powerful network but merchants are spread all over the world! Hmph! Once I get a hold of the leverage you're using, I'll make sure that you end up at the bottom of the group!'
The matter of inheritance in the imperial family was a done deal. Rexford's status was also completely secured.
But the problem people were focusing on was not the countless lovers Rexford had, no, such trifles simple as even the current emperor had the responsibility of satisfying the hundreds of concubines in the imperial harem.
Rutherford was not going to take on the duty of the harem, it was obvious especially when he made the ceasefire deal with the elven kingdom. There were even rumors that Rutherford already had a child!
The real battle now was not "who to put on the throne" but "who would take the lead in the Imperial Harem" and the Harem will be managed not by Regulus, the second son but by Rexford, the youngest.
Many may think that the Imperial harem has no power but the Empire's customs, known only to the higher nobles, gave the power of the next generation to the harem.
Especially now that the empire is lacking in males and the many high ranking noblemen had been killed during the previous war.
Unlike other kingdoms, the Empire NEEDS to replenish the noble blood. It was not simply because of culture but it was also because of power. That was the source of their power and Ortrun was not going to let Delilah take a hold of it.
'I won't let you slutty Hall's regain power again!'