Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities

Martin’s elbow started to rise.

Elisebeth caught the movement immediately.

She lunged before he could complete the salute, grabbed his hand between both of hers, and pulled his arm against her body until his forearm disappeared into the soft pressure of her cleavage.

"No shit!" Elisebeth shouted.

Even her curses sounded unfairly good in that voice.

Martin froze as she tightened her hold and glared up at him, though the pride shining in her eyes ruined any attempt at intimidation.

"And I was so proud of you! Don’t let her boss you around!"

Elisebeth lifted her chin toward Cassandra.

"I knew he was amazing before you started throwing shares at him. That has to count for something."

"It counts as an observation," Cassandra replied. "Nothing more."

Elisebeth’s eyes narrowed.

"Diva’s right," Alexandra said.

A moment later, Martin felt someone press against his back. Alexandra had slipped behind him, wrapped both arms around his chest, and rested her chin near his shoulder with complete confidence.

"We could always create our own guild," she said. "Then we could hunt down some idiot players. I’d pay you a lot for every assist."

Martin glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "That’s your alternative?"

"It’s a good one. We could call it Murder Espresso."

"That sounds like a café where the drinks kill you," Rias said.

"Blood Coffee?" Alexandra suggested.

"Somehow, you made it worse," Katherine replied.

"You’re the linchpin of Night Espresso, Martin," she continued before Alexandra could invent another name.

Katherine stepped closer, wearing a far more serious expression than usual.

"It wouldn’t be the same without you. Cassandra may be wealthy and hold most of the cards, but that doesn’t mean you should let her sway you too easily."

Cassandra folded her arms and remained silent.

Katherine turned toward Alexandra.

"And you, Alex, running around hunting random players isn’t Martin’s style."

Her serious tone lasted another second before a smile tugged at her lips.

"Sure, he’s handsome and turns me on when he deals with stupid people like Thorn’Shield, but come on. Watch your words."

Silence settled over the group.

Martin stared at her. Katherine blinked, while Alexandra’s lips curled into an amused grin.

"You sure you’re the one to say that, retard?" Alexandra asked.

Katherine looked up and found Martin beet-red. Only then did her own words seem to catch up with her.

She had just admitted that he turned her on, casually and in front of everyone.

Meanwhile, Martin had no idea how he was supposed to react. Elisebeth had trapped one of his arms against her breasts, Alexandra was embracing him from behind, Katherine had openly admitted that he aroused her, and Cassandra was waiting for his answer while treating the chaos around him as perfectly normal.

Beautiful women kept throwing obvious signals at him, yet he remained completely clueless about what to do with any of them.

Katherine’s embarrassment lasted only a moment. Her expression softened, and the sweetness of her smile made Martin even more nervous.

"I’ll call you tonight," she said.

His ears turned red while Alexandra snorted and Elisebeth narrowed her eyes at Katherine.

Rias moved behind Annie and covered both of the younger woman’s ears, several seconds too late to accomplish anything.

"You’re welcome," Rias said when Annie stared up at her in confusion.

Cassandra drew a slow breath and tucked a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear. When she turned, she found Annie staring at her with watery eyes.

To Annie, the situation looked different.

Her elder sister had spent most of her life carrying responsibilities and expectations few people could understand. Cassandra always stood above others, calm and unreachable, giving the impression that she needed no one beside her.

Now, she seemed to have found someone she trusted enough to share her guild with, along with something far more personal.

The thought should have been beautiful. Unfortunately, Martin was also surrounded by gorgeous women who seemed perfectly comfortable pressing themselves against him.

Why were there so many of them?

Annie found the entire situation nerve-racking, confusing, and somehow exciting at the same time.

Cassandra’s expression softened when she noticed her sister’s conflicted face.

"Annie, come over here."

"Yes, Elder Sister!"

Rias released her ears, and Annie hurried forward, though she continued sneaking glances at Martin as though she were approaching a celebrity who might suddenly bite.

Cassandra gestured toward her.

"This is my younger sister, Annie. She designed my hairstyle and helped me change my appearance today."

A hint of pride warmed her voice.

"She’s an exceptional hairdresser."

Annie’s cheeks brightened.

"Hehe. I’m just a humble hairdresser!"

"You could turn your talent into a much larger business if you wanted," Cassandra said. "You have no interest in doing that, and I respect your decision."

The affection in Cassandra’s eyes made Martin smile. This was a side of her he rarely saw. She wasn’t acting as a guild leader, a wealthy businesswoman, or a commanding woman who expected everyone to follow her instructions.

She was simply an older sister who was proud of someone she loved.

After all the emotional bombs thrown at him today, Martin desperately needed a quiet moment like this.

Elisebeth finally loosened her grip enough for him to pull his arm free, while Alexandra released his chest and remained close behind him. Martin straightened his clothes and faced Annie properly.

"Nice to meet you, Annie. I’m Martin Ross."

Annie studied him for a moment, then glanced at Cassandra.

"Elder Sister almost never trusts anyone enough to talk like this. She usually decides everything by herself and tells the rest of us when it’s already done."

"Annie," Cassandra said.

There was no real warning in her voice, which only encouraged her younger sister.

"It’s true!" Annie turned back to Martin and clasped her hands in front of her. "She doesn’t need someone protecting her all the time, obviously. She’s Elder Sister! I just don’t want her carrying everything alone anymore."

Martin’s smile softened. Beneath all the excitement and embarrassment, Annie’s request was sincere.

"I’ll do my best," he said. "Cassandra has already done a lot for me. I won’t treat her trust lightly."

Annie’s eyes brightened, and Cassandra quietly studied him for a moment.

Martin looked around at the women still gathered close to him. Elisebeth remained attached to his side, Alexandra hovered behind him, Katherine wore that sweet smile that promised trouble later, and Rias watched the scene with the patience of someone supervising a room full of disasters.

Cassandra stood in front of them all, composed as ever, but the wall between them no longer felt as solid as before.

His future still looked uncertain. Night Espresso might fail to produce the income Cassandra expected, and Martin had no idea whether he could live up to the authority she wanted to give him.

Still, remaining trapped in the same miserable routine felt far worse than taking the risk.

Martin straightened, this time without slipping into a soldier’s posture.

"And from today onward, I’m the vice leader of Night Espresso."

Cassandra gave a satisfied nod. Judging by her reaction, his acceptance had never truly been in doubt.

Annie gasped and cupped both cheeks.

"The best choice, Martin! You won’t regret it!"

Martin laughed as the remaining tension finally left his shoulders.

"Haha! That means I can play the game more and take more time off, right?"

Annie stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Haha! I don’t think that’s how being a professional player works!"