Heroine-Saving System: Reborn In A Third-Rate Manga As The Protagonist-Chapter 73: Date

Koya now sat in the tub, stretching his legs and being surrounded by heat... He had half-expected Victoria to crash out; however after saying it was for all of them to survive without being attacked, she grew quite mellow and even now, she was helping him wash his hair.

"Hubby... is the other woman you got married to nice?" Victoria asked, trying her hardest not to grab his head and slam it in the tub... she could feel his emotions and when he said that, he was not only telling the truth but he seemed very guilty about it so she understood that she didn’t have a choice.

"Nice?" He bobbed his head left and right, thinking about Hakai... honestly she was nice, and she was very honest.

In a world full of people that wanted to manipulate you while not caring about what you thought, she at least told the truth which was a very good redeeming quality. "She is... though she’s the leader of those guys that attacked us."

Victoria’s hands paused before continuing.

"Okay..." Then she let go of his hair and poured some water, washing it clean. "You’re very unfaithful."

"Huh? I didn’t have much of a choice."

It was either becoming her husband or becoming Hakua’s puppet... there was no perfect choice but there was a good one.

"Are we still going on our date tomorrow?" She asked meekly. "Oh and you’ll sleep in my room tonight... you’re going to hug me until I sleep off."

"Yes, we’ll head off in the morning." Koya said and turned to face her, Victoria was smiling and he was much happier seeing this expression than a betrayed one.

"Uhm... I went shopping for some dresses today, help me check them out." She said while running out of the bath, leaving Koya alone and he sighed, swaying his hair.

’Hakai said she was coming tomorrow... I wonder where we’re going to be staying, a big mansion? I haven’t seen many mansions around here.’ He honestly thought, apart from regular apartment complexes that filled the city and those high-rise one room apartments, there wasn’t much more to see.

He wasn’t sure he had seen one mansion before, just then the door opened and he turned back to face Victoria except it was Yuna and Akemi and they were both holding towels to him.

"Master... take mine." Akemi said and Yuna looked at the ground.

"No master, you take mine." Yuna said and they both glanced at his face, the water was foamy so they could not see underneath.

"Thank you girls." He said and took both towels placing it on his shoulder. "Can you help me run an errand?"

"Absolutely!" Both girls nodded their heads, they needed to hurry up before Victoria saw them in here and got the wrong idea.

"Good... I wrote down the recipe of the pills into a note when I got back, you can find it in my trousers and I think I took them off in the living room. Head to the Chemist and purchase all the items needed." He said and both girls nodded before leaving. "Please be as quick as possible, I need to make more pills..."

His hands were still tingling slightly from that spell but it was just a temporary side effect... if there was anything more certain, he needed to get stronger and maximize his skills as well.

Koya sighed again.

"I really need to r-"

"Hubby, check it out!" Victoria returned with two identical black dresses that had long sleeves and short sleeves too... that was the only difference between them. "Which one should I wear to the date...?"

"How did you even buy them?" He raised an eyebrow.

Victoria placed a finger on her chin.

"Right! I used your credit card!"

...

"Hold on..." Yuna said as they got closer to the chemist. It wasn’t really that far from their current house. "Akemi!"

Akemi was the one with the list and she was wearing an oversized hood, her hair had been tied into a bun courtesy of Yuna and she was ahead.

Akemi turned back and extended her tongue at her... making Yuna fume even more, it seemed that the innocent orange haired girl was being infected by Yuu’s competitive spirit.

Akemi faced the front again and she bumped into someone.

"Oi, bitch. Watch where you’re going."

Akemi staggered back and saw a face that Yuna recognized instantly... it was Kotetsu and he seemed to be pissed.

Kotetsu held Akemi’s hand and smiled at her.

"Oho, you’re a fine one... and you’re following Yuna-chan too. Are you heading somewhere?" He asked however his words went into one of Akemi’s ears and went out the other.

All the girl had in her head was that her Master told her to be as quick as possible and this man was obstructing her path.

"Let me go... I’m in a hurry." She said nicely however Kotetsu’s hand was strong... though she was a higher rank than the guy.

"Come on sweetheart, tell me your name."

Yuna caught up and gave Kotetsu a look.

"She’s a minor, Kotetsu-san... please let go of her." Yuna said and Kotetsu grinned.

"Even bet-" There was a crunching sound as Akemi’s foot crashed in between his crotch, destroying the whole thing and then he let go of her and she pushed him to the side, away from the sidewalk and into an alleyway.

"Sorry. I have to get something for my Master and you were delaying it." Akemi said cutely before running ahead of Yuna once again.

Yuna didn’t even give him a glance, honestly she was happy about it. Kotetsu needed to be put in his place... and what was that talk about minors being even better?

Was he a pedophile? The guy was 28 for crying out loud.

"Wait up!" Yuna called out as she chased after Akemi who had entered the building.

...

The next morning, Koya stood outside at a specific junction that wasn’t too far away from their house.

He had dressed well for a memorable first date... and had one hand in his pocket while checking the time with the other.

’She’s 3 minutes late.’ He thought as he kept his phone back.

The girls had come back quickly and he had managed to make some pills for both strength and mana power... and after that, he had cuddled Victoria to sleep.

She had been watching some date ideas throughout last night so even though they were coming from the same place, she wanted to make it as if they hadn’t.

"Hey." From the end of the street, she waved at him and slowly jogged to him. Her breasts bounced each time she did so and her curves moved hypnotically in the black dress... she wore the short-sleeved dress as he suggested that this would make it easier for her to move her hands however it only surrendered her to male attention from every direction.

As she arrived next to him, she did a small twirl with a nervous smile.

"You like?" She asked while waiting for his happy expression. "Uh... if you don’t, I have several other outfits here that you bought for m-"

He patted her head with a genuine smile.

"I think you look gorgeous..." He commented and her heart pumped hard.

"R-really?" She stuttered, face turning pink.

「ⓘ Amagi Victoria’s affection has increased to Maximum」

「Once affection has reached Maximum, it can no longer reduce.」

’I see.’ He thought and then looked at her eyes seriously.

"Just don’t jog like that... your breasts are bouncing and everyone’s looking at them, aren’t they supposed to be for only me?" He asked and her eyes widened in horror as she looked around.

The people that were staring glanced away quickly and she gritted her teeth before calming down, taking a deep breath.

"I’ll walk properly..." She said while taking his hand, interlacing their fingers. "Now, come let’s get this date started."

They began walking... Victoria had planned everything so he didn’t know where she was taking him.

The first stop was the aquarium... It was a massive building that wasn’t far from the junction. The city had several aquariums and this was one of the smaller ones. The Main Aquarium had so many people coming in per day that it was impossible to enjoy the experience there.

They walked through the entrance and Victoria’s face transformed into pure awe. The place wasn’t brightly lit; instead it had overhead blue lights that cast everything in an ethereal underwater glow.

The walls were painted to resemble ocean depths and the sound of flowing water echoed throughout. Fish tanks of varying sizes lined both sides of the main hallway, each one housing different species with information plaques beneath them.

They went to the receptionist desk where a young woman sat reading a magazine. Victoria swallowed nervously... She had seen how this worked on ATube.

"I want two tickets." She said, then paused. "About 30 minutes each."

The woman behind the desk looked up, smiled, and brought out a scanner for their QR code.

"Here, it costs 200 crowns for both tickets." She said and Koya scanned to pay without hesitation.

Once he did, they were given two physical tickets and Victoria actually jumped in place with excitement before she dragged him along into the main exhibit.

The first tank they encountered held tropical fish... there were vibrant blues, yellows and reds. The tank really held an assortment of fish.

Post-Apocalypse mutations had made them larger with their fins thicker and some were even glowing.

Victoria pressed her face against the glass.

"Look at that one! It has three tails!" She pointed at a goldfish the size of a basketball. "And that one glows! Can you see it?"

Koya stood behind her, watching her reaction. This might be her first time at an aquarium.

They moved to the next section... the predator tank. Sharks circled lazily behind reinforced glass that was half a foot thick.

These sharks were massive, easily twenty feet long, with serrated teeth visible even from a distance and strange bony protrusions along their spines from mutation.

"They’re so big..." Victoria whispered, eyes wide. "But they look sad. Do you think they’re sad being in there?"

"Maybe," Koya said. "Or maybe they’re just conserving energy for feeding time."

"When’s feeding time?"

"We just missed it by an hour." He said while squinting at the plaque.

"Aww..."

She grabbed his hand without thinking, pulling him toward the next exhibit.

The jellyfish tunnel was the breathtaking centerpiece of the entire aquarium...

A transparent glass tunnel that curved gracefully through a massive cylindrical tank filled entirely with bioluminescent jellyfish of every size.

Hundreds of them drifted through the dark water like ethereal ghosts, glowing rhythmically with blue and purple and green light that reflected off every surface.

Victoria stepped into the tunnel and stopped breathing.

The blue glow made her silver hair look absolutely ethereal... like she was underwater herself, like she belonged in this place.

The light reflected in her red eyes and for a moment she looked more like a sea creature than a vampire.

She looked up at Koya slowly and their eyes met... The moment stretched as the jellyfish drifted around them and neither of them moved.

"This is..." Victoria’s voice was barely a whisper. "This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."

"Yeah," Koya said, not looking at the jellyfish. "It is."

A small voice broke the moment.

"Mommy, are they boyfriend and girlfriend?"

A little girl was pointing at them from further down the tunnel, her mother trying to shush her.

Victoria’s brain was completely short-circuited... Her mouth opened, closed and opened again but no words came out. Her face turned progressively redder.

Koya smiled and called back to the kid.

"We’re married actually."

Victoria.exe has stopped working. Her face went from red to crimson. She buried her face in his chest to hide it while the little girl went "Oooooh!" and her mother smiled at them apologetically.

"You didn’t have to say that..." Victoria mumbled into his shirt.

"Why not? It’s true."

"I know but..." She looked up at him, her face was still red. "Hearing you say it out loud makes me forget how to breathe."

They spent another twenty minutes exploring the rest of the exhibits before reaching the gift shop.

Victoria was immediately drawn to a display of plushies... whales, dolphins, octopi, and sharks in various sizes.

Koya picked up the largest shark plushie without being asked. It was nearly two feet long with a dopey smile stitched onto its face. He handed it to her.

"For you."

Victoria took it slowly, hugging it to her chest. Her eyes were getting suspiciously shiny.

"I’m naming him Bruce." She said firmly.

"Why Bruce?"

"Because he looks like a Bruce."

She refused to let go of Bruce for the rest of the date, carrying him under one arm like a child with their favorite toy.

They soon left the Aquarium with Victoria still hugging the plushie.

"That was a fun time... right?" He asked and Victoria nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes Hubby, it was amazing. I’ve never seen so many strange fishes in one place and I have Bruce now." She squeezed the shark. "I also made a reservation at a cafe yesterday with your card."

She took his free hand and led him down the street... Three blocks later they arrived at a small corner cafe with outdoor seating and hanging plants.

The aesthetic was very ATube-friendly... it was instagrammable, as people called it. A woman in her thirties stood behind the counter and her face lit up when she saw Victoria.

"Oh! You’re back! And this must be the man you were telling me about yesterday!" She came around the counter with a knowing smile.

Victoria turned pink. "Y-yes, this is my husband."

"Husband! Oh my goodness, congratulations! You were so nervous yesterday asking about date ideas." The woman was clearly enjoying this. "I told her the strawberry parfait is very romantic to share, did you listen to my advice?"

"I’m going to order it..." Victoria mumbled, embarrassed.

They sat down at a table by the window. Victoria had done research on the phone he had bought her but when the menu arrived, she froze.

The pictures online had looked different... She ordered based purely on aesthetic... the strawberry parfait she’d been told about and something called a "Cloud Soufflé" that looked cute in photos. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

What arrived was a dessert monstrosity. The parfait was fine but the soufflé had a whipped cream mountain on top that was taller than the actual dessert and it was wobbling dangerously.

"I think I ordered wrong..." Victoria stared at it.

"It looks good though."

"It’s too much cream..."

Koya picked up a spoon. Victoria remembered what ATube had said about feeding your partner being romantic.

She scooped up some parfait and held it out to him.

"Say ahh."

He opened his mouth and she fed him. The moment was going perfectly until she pulled the spoon back too fast and got whipped cream on his nose.

Victoria died internally, her face went redder. She grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe it off while apologizing profusely.

"I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so bad at this—"

Koya was laughing.

"It’s fine, Victoria. You’re doing great. Don’t forget... it’s my first time too."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while until Victoria looked at her plate and froze completely.

"What’s wrong?"

"I... I ordered the garlic bread." She stared at the side dish like it was a bomb. "I didn’t read the description. It has garlic. I’m a vampire. What if—"

"Victoria."

"What if I’m allergic? What if I die? What if—"

"You’re not that kind of vampire."

She could walk around in the sun after all.

She blinked.

"Oh. Right."

She picked up the bread and took a tentative bite and nothing happened. "Oh thank god."

After they finished and paid, they left the cafe completely full. As they walked down the street, Victoria leaned heavily on his arm, Bruce the shark tucked under her other arm.

"I’m enjoying our date Hubby..." She said, purposely not thinking about the other ring on his finger.

This was her day.

"Me too. You have another place in mind?"

"The Arca—"

Just then a black Limousine pulled up directly next to them with a quiet purr of expensive engine.

The driver came out wearing a full suit with a small Order emblem on the pocket patch. He bowed deeply.

"Boss." He said while opening the rear door. "Your wife is waiting for you at the Mansion and she said I should pick you up immediately. The others are already inside."

Truly, others like Nami, Reona and the two girls were visible through the tinted windows. Koya nodded, realizing their date just got interrupted and looked at Victoria apologetically.

Victoria’s expression went completely flat then she got in the car without a word and closed the door behind her.

She wanted to meet this so-called wife.

"Boss, you can sit up front." The driver opened the front passenger door and Koya got in, glancing back at Victoria through the rearview mirror.

Her face was unreadable.

...

Koya had wondered where the gated mansions were. Turns out they were always here in the city... it was just that he’d lived in a poor district his entire life.

Right now the limousine was driving through a district where there were only mansions... massive estates with walls and private security.

The limousine pulled through open iron gates that were held by servants in uniform.

The driveway was easily a hundred meters long, lined with manicured hedges and gardens. The mansion itself was three stories of white stone with dozens of windows and a grand staircase leading to the entrance.

The limousine pulled to a stop at the base of the stairs. All of them got out slowly, staring up at the building in shock.

Even Nami looked impressed and she’d seen some wealth in her time.

Standing at the top of the grand staircase was Hakai. She looked genuinely beautiful in casual clothes... a simple white blouse and black slacks with her glasses. She looked less like the terrifying Boss of the Order and more like a rich CEO on her day off.

"Hello everyone." She said as the limousine reversed and headed toward a garage that could probably fit ten cars.

The woman gave a small bow to all of them with perfect grace. "Welcome to Star Mansion... this is where you’ll be living from now on, though completely living here is optional if you prefer your current residence. You might not have met me before so I’ll introduce myself properly."

She brought out her left hand elegantly to show the silver ring on her finger... identical to the one Koya wore.

"I am Amagi Hakai... and I’m Amagi Koya’s legal wife." She said with a dreamy smile on her face.

Victoria’s tight grip on Bruce the shark plushie tightened until the fabric creaked.