From Trash to Villain Master of Card: With Harem of Evil women-Chapter 99: Gardens of Memory
The morning light streamed through the wide windows.
The breakfast table was set for six.
The five queens arrived gradually.
Adelheid was first, always punctual.
She wore a simple blue dress. Her hair, braided. Her posture, perfect.
Lilith arrived second, with effortless elegance.
She wore a flowing purple dress. Her hair, loose. The rosary, visible.
Valeria arrived third, with mathematical precision.
She wore functional gray clothing. Her hair, in an exact braid. Her expression, empty.
Aurelia arrived fourth, with barely contained energy.
Her clothes were already stained with ink. Her hair, in messy pigtails. She bounced as she sat down.
Naporia arrived last.
And different.
Her hair was still damp — she had obviously bathed.
She wore simple, but well-put-together clothes.
Her posture was relaxed in an unusual way.
And she was smiling.
It was a small, satisfied, radiant smile.
Impossible not to notice.
She sat beside Kaito.
Took his hand under the table.
Adelheid was the first to notice.
A knowing smile crossed her face.
Lilith was next.
She raised an eyebrow with amusement.
Valeria observed Naporia for thirty seconds.
Processed the information.
Compared current behavior with the established standard.
Finally, she spoke.
"Observation: Naporia is emitting increased happiness."
"Altered physiological parameters: sustained smile, muscle relaxation, increased physical contact with Kaito."
"Question: What is the cause of the change?"
Silence.
Adelheid was trying not to laugh.
Lilith was smiling openly.
Aurelia processed for a second.
Then.
"Oh! OBVIOUSLY!"
She bounced slightly in her chair.
"Because there was successful MATING! The REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION was completed!"
"Well, not technically REPRODUCTIVE, since there’s no—"
Naporia nearly spat out her tea.
Coughed. Blushed intensely.
"AURELIA!"
"What? It’s SCIENCE! A natural biological process that—"
Lilith placed her hand over Aurelia’s mouth.
"Enough. I think we’ve all understood."
Adelheid laughed — it was a rare, genuine sound.
"Welcome to the club, Naporia."
Naporia was still red, but smiling.
"You are... impossible."
Valeria processed the exchange.
"I understand now. Nocturnal intimate activity generates sustained emotional satisfaction."
"Interesting. I will catalog that for future reference."
Aurelia, now freed from Lilith’s hand, said:
"Exactly! And now only—"
She looked at herself.
"Wait! I’m also missing!"
"The order of intimacy is: Adelheid, Lilith, Naporia, Valeria, ME!"
"I’m the LAST one!"
Kaito nearly choked on his coffee.
Adelheid intervened.
"Aurelia. This isn’t a competition."
"But statistically, I AM the last!"
Lilith sighed.
"No one is keeping count."
"YOU just confirmed the order! THAT is keeping count!"
Naporia laughed.
"Aurelia. When it’s your time... it will be your time."
"WHEN?"
She looked at Kaito with manic intensity.
"TODAY? TOMORROW? Give me a TIMELINE!"
Kaito processed how to respond.
Valeria helped unexpectedly.
"Intimacy requires emotional preparation. Not chronological."
"When both are ready. It’s a function of the appropriate moment."
Aurelia processed the information.
"Oh. That... makes sense."
She calmed down a little.
"But SOON! Right?"
Kaito nodded.
"When the right moment comes."
"ACCEPTABLE!"
Aurelia returned to breakfast with renewed energy.
It was a comedic moment that diffused the tension.
The six ate together.
They were a strange, but functional, family.
---
After Breakfast
A knock at the door.
Drake opened it.
Lady Helena entered — a woman in her fifties.
She was the palace historian. Elegant. Very knowledgeable.
"Lord Kaito. Queens. Queen Isolde sends me."
"She proposes a tour of the Royal Gardens today."
"It’s the most beautiful section of Vestria."
Kaito looked at the five.
They all nodded.
"We accept. Thank you, Lady Helena."
Helena smiled.
"Excellent. The gardens are extensive. I suggest we split up."
"That way, everyone can experience the areas that interest them most."
She unfolded a map.
"The Training Garden: for ceremonial sword practice."
Adelheid and Naporia exchanged a glance.
"We’ll go there."
"The Botanical Garden: has rare plants from across the continent."
Aurelia practically vibrated.
"ME! I need SAMPLES!"
Lilith smiled.
"I’ll accompany you. To make sure you don’t destroy anything."
"I don’t DESTROY anything! I just... research AGGRESSIVELY!"
"Exactly. That’s why I’m going with you."
Helena continued.
"And the Hedge Maze: a design from 300 years ago. The center has a historical fountain."
Kaito looked at Valeria.
"Do you want to explore the maze?"
Valeria processed the proposal.
"Recreational function without tactical purpose. Unusual, but... I accept."
"Then we’ll go there."
The groups were established.
Helena guided them to the gardens.
---
Training Garden
The area had ceremonial equipment.
Practice swords. Decorative armor. An exhibition arena.
Adelheid picked up a sword — it was perfectly balanced.
"Impressive craftsmanship."
Naporia did the same.
"Ceremonial. But functional."
They looked at each other.
Shared competitive smiles.
"Like old times?"
"Exactly."
They began to practice.
Their movements were fluid. Their technique, perfect.
It wasn’t a real fight. It was a combat dance.
Each anticipated the other’s moves.
Their years of experience were visible.
After twenty minutes, they stopped.
They were breathing a bit heavily.
Smiling.
"You still have speed," said Adelheid.
"You still have precision."
They sat on a nearby bench.
Naporia looked at Adelheid.
"How do you handle it? Being the first."
Adelheid considered it.
"It’s... complicated. Sometimes I feel like I carry more weight."
"Other times... it’s a privilege to have known him the longest."
"Do you feel jealous?"
"Sometimes. When I see how he looks at you. Or at Lilith. Or at Valeria."
"But then I remember this isn’t a competition."
"We all love him. He loves all of us."
"In different ways."
Naporia nodded.
"Yes. I feel... fierceness. Protection."
"I feel... responsibility. Like an anchor."
They looked at each other.
"But it works," they said simultaneously.
They laughed.
It was a sisterhood forged in battle.
Now, they shared love.
It was strange, but real.
---
Botanical Garden — Lilith and Aurelia
The greenhouse was massive.
There were plants of a hundred different varieties.
Some were familiar. Others, completely alien.
Aurelia ran from one section to another.
Touching, smelling, taking notes frantically.
"This one is from Calvados! It has INCREDIBLE medicinal properties!"
"And THIS one! It’s from Sorenth! It has natural TEXTILE fibers!"
"I can use it to make DRESSES!"
Lilith followed her with amusement.
"Remember: just observe. No taking samples without permission."
"But I NEED to study them!"
"Then ask permission."
Aurelia sighed dramatically.
"FINE."
She found a gardener.
Explained her interest with manic enthusiasm.
The gardener — initially intimidated — ended up fascinated.
"I’ve never met anyone so... passionate about botany."
"Because PLANTS are INCREDIBLE! They’re natural CHEMISTRY! They’re organic ENGINEERING!"
He granted her permission to take small samples.
Aurelia nearly cried with happiness.
Lilith watched her with a smile.
"You’re... unique, Aurelia."
"UNIQUE in a good way, or just WEIRD?"
"Both. And you’re perfect like that."
Aurelia stopped.
Looked at Lilith.
"Do you really believe that? With my... everything?"
Lilith understood.
She meant her secrets. Her darkness. The hidden laboratory.
"Yes. Even with all of that."
"Because you choose to do good. Most of the time."
Aurelia nodded.
Returned to her plants.
But felt a small hope.
Maybe she could confess the truth.
Someday.
And be accepted, despite everything.
---
Hedge Maze — Kaito and Valeria
The entrance was an ancient stone arch.
The hedges were three meters high.
The paths wound in a complex design.
Valeria studied the structure.
"Labyrinthine design with no obvious defensive or tactical function."
"Question: Why do humans build this?"
Kaito walked beside her.
"For entertainment. For a challenge with no consequences."
"It’s a purely recreational function."
Valeria processed the information.
"Interesting. They invest resources in an activity with no direct material benefit."
"The benefit is the... experience. The enjoyment."
"Catalogued."
They walked in silence.
They took turns at random.
They followed no strategy, just explored.
For Valeria, this was unusual.
Normally, she optimized everything.
But now... she let herself go with the flow.
Learning the function of an activity with no defined purpose.
They finally reached the center.
The path opened into a circular plaza.
There was a fountain in the middle.
Water flowing gently.
And a statue.
Two figures embracing.
A man and a woman.
Eternally united in stone.
A plaque at the base read: "Eternal Love — Transcending Time"
Valeria approached.
Studied it with unusual intensity.
Touched the cold stone.
"I don’t fully comprehend this concept."
"Eternal love."
Kaito stood beside her.
"Neither do I. Not anymore."
Valeria looked at him.
"Before the fifth summoning, did you comprehend it?"
Kaito considered it.
"I felt more. Understood less."
"Love was... intensity. Urgency. A fire that consumed everything."
"Now... it’s the opposite."
"I understand the concept intellectually."
"But feeling it... requires effort."
Valeria processed the information.
"It’s an interesting paradox."
"I am gaining the capacity to feel, while you are losing it."
"We both process humanity differently."
"But we both... are learning." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
Kaito nodded.
"Yes."
Valeria took his hand.
It was a gesture she had learned.
But its meaning was genuine.
"Then, let’s learn together. As always."
Kaito felt something.
It was small, distant, but real.
Warmth.
Gratitude.
Affection.
He squeezed her hand.
"Together."
They sat on the edge of the fountain.
Shared a silence.
Only the sound of flowing water.
A gentle breeze moving the leaves.
There was peace.
After a while, Valeria moved.
Resting her head on Kaito’s shoulder.
It was a movement she had learned by observing the others.
But she executed it with her own intention.
"This is... pleasant."
"It’s the function of shared peace."
"Without constant processing."
"Just... existing."
Kaito put his arm around her shoulders.
"Yes. It’s pleasant."
They stayed like that.
Time lost its meaning.
They didn’t plan. Didn’t calculate. Didn’t process tactics.
They just... were.
Together.
Valeria felt something new.
She still couldn’t name it.
But it was warm.
Constant.
Like the embers Kaito had described.
This is affection. This is connection.
I chose to share this moment with him.
He chose to share it with me.
Mutual choice = humanity.
Catalogued.
Finally, they stood.
They knew the others were waiting for them.
But they carried that moment with them.
They walked back together.
Their hands still intertwined.
A comfortable silence.
When they emerged from the maze.
The other four were waiting.
Adelheid smiled seeing their intertwined hands.
Lilith nodded with approval.
Naporia winked at Valeria.
Aurelia bounced.
"You took a LONG time! We thought you got LOST!"
"We didn’t get lost," said Valeria. "We were exploring."
"Did you find the center?"
"Yes. There’s a statue of eternal love."
Aurelia looked at their intertwined hands.
Processed the information.
Smiled.
"Ah! You had a ROMANTIC moment!"
"OBVIOUS!"
Valeria considered it.
"Yes. I suppose so."
Kaito observed the five.
His chosen family.
Each one different.
Each one important.
He felt something.
It wasn’t the intensity of before.
But it was embers.
Constant. Real. Enough.
This is worth it.
All the sacrifice.
Because I have this.
I have them.
The six walked back to the palace.
Chatting, laughing, sharing the day’s experiences.
It was the first of many days in Vestria.
Learning that life was more than survival.
That humanity was more than feeling with intensity.
That love could transform.
And still be real.
And still be enough.
---
That Night — The Royal Suite
The six dined together.
Conversation flowed naturally.
Adelheid and Naporia described their sword practice.
Lilith and Aurelia shared their botanical discoveries.
Kaito and Valeria explained their experience in the maze.
There was laughter. Warmth. A sense of family.
After dinner, each retired to their room.
Valeria walked with Kaito.
At his door, she stopped.
"Kaito. Today was... educational."
"Yes?"
"I learned that an activity with no tactical purpose can have value."
"That sharing silence is a form of communication."
"That choosing to be with someone is... love."
Kaito caressed her cheek.
"Yes. All of that is correct."
"Thank you for teaching me."
"Thank you for reminding me."
Valeria leaned forward.
Kissed him.
It was a brief, soft, but significant kiss.
"Good night, Kaito."
"Good night, Valeria."
She entered her room.
Left him in the hallway.
He processed the day.
The gardens. The maze. The statue.
A moment of shared peace.
Something small. Something simple.
But important.
A reminder that humanity still existed.
Just... differently.
It had transformed, but remained present.
He entered his own room.
Lay down.
For the first time in weeks.
He slept without constantly processing.
Just... rested.
With the memory of Valeria, leaning on his shoulder.
And the shared peace.
It was enough.
For now.
Completely enough.
