Netori Harem: New life as a hunter and gatherer

Chapter 265: Congratulation and awkward

In the room, Luke, Nadia, and Dart sat in silence.

They were fully dressed now.

Luke occupied a chair while Nadia remained on the bed, with Dart seated beside her.

Both of them kept their shoulders slumped, unable to meet his eyes.

Luke crossed his arms and let out a quiet sigh. "Well, I already had some idea."

His words caught Dart off guard. "You really did?"

Luke shrugged. "I know you’re a bit of a knucklehead, Dart, but you’re not stupid enough to miss the signs that your partner is getting a little too close to another man."

Nadia lowered her head, shame washing over her face.

Luke himself felt more than a little awkward having this conversation with the couple who had just confessed to deceiving him.

When Dart had barged into the room, Luke had expected a full-blown fight.

Instead, he got an apology.

The couple wanted a child.

And for some reason, they had chosen Luke as the perfect man to help them make that happen.

Luke had remained blissfully unaware until the day he visited their home.

He had been left alone with Nadia in the bathing area, yet when he met Dart afterward, the man acted as though nothing had happened.

Nadia had been the same. Even when they flirted, she never showed the slightest concern that Dart might find out.

It had all been part of their plan.

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. "So I was being led around by the nose this whole time, huh?"

Dart immediately panicked. "P-Please don’t be mad, Luke. I knew you would’ve refused if we’d approached you honestly." He glanced at Nadia before continuing, "The first time you saw her, I could tell from your eyes that you liked her. So... I left the difficult part to her."

Nadia lowered her gaze. "We’re sorry if we hurt you, Luke."

Luke slowly shook his head. "No... I should be the one apologizing, Dart. I thought I was betraying your trust. I didn’t know this had been your plan from the very beginning, and yet I..."

His voice faded away.

He couldn’t bring himself to say he regretted what he had shared with Nadia. Those moments hadn’t been born from blind impulse or fleeting desire alone.

Beyond the passion they had shared, there had been quiet moments too. Lying side by side on the pillow, wrapped in each other’s embrace, simply enjoying one another’s company.

Even so, guilt had never truly left him.

It had lingered in the deepest corner of his heart, whispering that he was betraying the only man he had ever called a friend.

Dart rose from his seat and walked over to Luke.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, the brown-haired man smiled faintly. "If there’s anyone I could trust Nadia with, it’s you, Luke. So don’t think badly of any of this."

Luke looked up at him as Dart continued.

"You’ve given us hope. You’ve given us the greatest reason to look forward to the future... to welcoming a new member into our family." His voice softened. "So please, don’t think you’ve hurt me. We’ll always be good friends."

Luke let out a slow breath and stood.

His eyes drifted toward Nadia before returning to Dart.

"I... honestly don’t know what to say right now. Maybe this trip will help me sort out these feelings." A faint smile appeared on his face. "In the meantime, spend as much time with her as you can, Dart."

He rested a hand on Dart’s shoulder.

"After all, you’re about to become a father."

Dart’s eyes went wide.

Nadia froze, equally stunned.

Luke gave a small nod, confirming there was no mistake.

"She already carries your child. Congratulations."

....

"Congratulations? Seriously? Ugh..."

After leaving the house, Luke couldn’t stop grumbling about everything that had happened.

It had been awkward beyond belief.

Right now, he genuinely felt like smashing his head against a rock.

He knew this world was nothing like the one he had lived in before.

Even so...

He had been caught in compromising situations back in modern society as well. The aftermath had usually involved fists, and in some cases, even bullets.

But today?

Today had been an experience unlike anything he had ever imagined.

Sitting there while Dart sincerely thanked him for sleeping with his mate was...

Ugh.

He couldn’t even bring himself to call their decision wrong. He wasn’t some righteous saint.

He was just as responsible.

The very thought of sharing his own partner with someone else was unimaginable to him, yet for Dart, accepting such an arrangement had seemed almost natural.

"Haah..."

Luke let out a long sigh and shook his head.

They had been desperate.

And in the end, it had been Dart who came up with that absurd idea.

There was no point dwelling on it anymore.

With that thought, Luke forced himself to put the matter behind him.

The system had already confirmed that Nadia was pregnant.

That meant there was no reason for him to keep visiting their home anymore.

The two of them could finally live the happy life they had longed for.

Shaking his head, Luke turned to head home when a familiar notification suddenly rang in his mind.

[Secret Quest Triggered]

[Get Caught Cheating]

[Reward: 50 G]

[Side Remark: Not so slick now, are we, Host?]

"..."

Luke stared into space.

Was the system getting revenge on him?

And since when had it started adding side remarks?

"Well, points are points," he muttered. "I’ll gladly take them."

Tucking his hands into his pockets, he stepped inside the house.

Monica, Laila, and Ginna were gathered in the main hall.

A large bundle wrapped in thick cloth rested on the floor before them, with two baskets placed neatly beside it.

Luke let out a sigh.

"Didn’t you pack a little too much?" His gaze shifted toward the baskets. "And don’t tell me those are filled with nothing but food."

Monica looked a little embarrassed as she nodded.

"I thought the journey would be long, and there won’t be any way to cook once we’re inside the forest. So... I packed a little extra."

Laila crossed her arms with a small huff.

"And you gave me so many comfortable clothes that I couldn’t decide which ones to bring. So I packed all of them."

She spoke as though the entire situation was somehow Luke’s fault.

Luke could only shake his head as a helpless sigh escaped his lips.

"Forget it. Roxanne is probably already waiting. Let’s get going."

Monica nodded and reached for one of the baskets, only for Laila to snatch it from her hands before she could lift it.

Luke picked up the large bundle of clothes along with the remaining basket before turning to Ginna.

"Take care of yourself. And if anything becomes dangerous or difficult, use the things I left for you."

He had given her a sharp knife purchased from the system, a pepper spray, several potions, and enough basic supplies to help her if trouble ever came knocking.

Just like the magical beast that had attacked the village weeks ago, danger could appear without warning.

He wanted to make sure the one woman staying behind, the one who mattered to him, would be able to protect herself. As for Monica and Laila, they would be by his side.

Ginna gave a gentle nod to show she understood.

After a brief glance at Monica, she timidly stepped closer, wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck, and whispered softly,

"Have a safe journey. I’ll be waiting for you."

Luke smiled warmly and gave a quiet hum in response.

A moment later, he looked at his mate and then at Laila.

"Alright then."

"Let’s get going."

~~~~~~

A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter. There was a poll on discord about whose image I should focus on. If you aren’t a part of the server, comment here.