Extra's Harem: Invincibility Starts with Marriage and lots of Children-Chapter 160 - Ruvina: Cut Tail or Crutrain

"Ruvina Crutrain is her name, but do you know what she's called in high society?" Aleriana glanced towards Ruvina. She wasn't alert out of jealousy—rather, it was because she knew all too well the nature of that woman.

Ruvina was infamous for her snake-like cunning, even going so far as to cripple her own brother, presenting it to the world as an act of securing her father's legacy—claiming to walk in his footsteps.

There had been several instances where she formed alliances and friendships, only to quietly eliminate those very individuals later.

That subtle art was one of her specialties—appearing perfectly normal on the surface, as if no one could be more innocent than her.

A fragile woman, just searching for the remnants of her father's legacy... or so she made it seem.

From the beginning, after her marriage, she had accepted that Kyle was someone who would choose women without understanding that a person's character is the root of loyalty.

Just like Mialthara—her gesture of saving his life couldn't be considered loyalty. It was self-interest, nothing more.

Even Olea wouldn't go so far as to take personal revenge on him. The choice was simple for her.

And Olea—who was perhaps the second closest to Kyle after Aleriana—wouldn't even blink if she ever decided to turn on him, even if it meant harming him.

So technically, every woman around him—including Aleriana herself, who had harbored wrong intentions at the time of their marriage—was dangerous.

Even now, despite her determination to protect him, she was aware that none of them were truly safe.

They might seem trustworthy for now, but the future held no guarantees.

Kiera Llerena was already dealing with Olea, and yet, now he had decided to bring in another woman—even more dangerous.

"Snake-tongued?" Kyle asked, raising a brow. He recalled from the original story that this woman, Ruvina, was known for her sharp tongue—speaking clearly, cutting people down, and manipulating them as she pleased.

But her political name, rumored among high circles, may not be known to him.

"Cut-tail. It means she gets rid of her tails—her connections—every day," Aleriana said coldly, glaring at Ruvina.

Her previously awe-struck and surprised expression suddenly turned cold, as if something had struck a nerve.

Up till now, she'd been feigning hurt and vulnerability around Kyle, trying to extract as much as she could.

"...Isn't she just... a jinx?" Kyle muttered, raising his eyebrow. Even in the original story, it was shown how unlucky Ruvina was for others.

Whoever tried to form an alliance with her would suffer accidents, abandonment, ruin... or death.

'Wait...' Kyle narrowed his gaze, looking at Ruvina. She blinked rapidly, visibly surprised by his words.

Her fluttering lashes betrayed a shock—this was something no one else should've known. Only she did.

That's when Kyle realized something. Perhaps due to Ruvina's sharp tongue and confident demeanor, everyone around her assumed she was some kind of mastermind.

Maybe they thought she actively cut ties once her alliances became useless. But in reality… thry weren't aware that she was just that unlucky.

'A misunderstood fox?' The thought crossed Kyle's mind, the strange complexity of Ruvina becoming clearer. Misunderstood and misjudged—that realization made him smirk slightly.

"Jinx?" Aleriana narrowed her eyes. She knew Ruvina's methods well. She herself had once tried to ally with the woman—only to be betrayed. It was obvious that greed drove her.

But hearing Kyle's words made her look at Ruvina with suspicion.

Still, that suspicion faded quickly. If Ruvina were truly a jinx, then any broken affiliation should have harmed her as well—not just her allies. But every time, she came out unscathed, profiting from the suffering of others.

So, no. Most likely, it was all her planning.

"And forget that. Why are you even acting as if I really want to marry that woman?" Kyle, knowing it would be difficult to convince Aleriana right now, tried to clarify.

Ruvina's qualification was just 91—enough to expand his domain by a single meter. Good, but not something that made him desperate.

So instead of focusing on Ruvina, he chose to calm things with his wife first.

"You're not going to do it?" Aleriana looked at Kyle with suspicious eyes, her tone shy but doubtful, clearly affected by the conversation Ruvina and Mialthara just had.

"Of course not," Kyle lied with a straight face.

[Really?]

'Of course, I will,' Kyle answered truthfully in his mind, hearing the System's voice chime in unexpectedly—an uninvited guest who clearly had its own intentions regarding domain growth.

[Then why did you lie?]

Kyle sighed, irritated at how the System was poking its nose in. He hadn't asked it anything, yet here it was.

'You see, I did mention marrying Ruvina, but not just like that. I planned to test her. And after seeing how she passed the first one, I knew she had potential,' Kyle folded his arms with a firm nod. Meanwhile, Olea and Aleriana seemed visibly confused, their attention fixed on Ruvina after Kyle's open denial.

[What kind of test?]

The System's curiosity was evident, and since Kyle had no one else to share his plans with, he decided to reveal it.

'You know why I wiped her lipstick and messed with her hair that time? Made it look like something had happened between us?'

[Why?]

'To provoke her fiancé, Prince Orion. I knew he'd show up at the banquet. I was banking on her being a jinx, and on Orian's pride and ego snapping. I expected him to lose control and make a mistake. I never trusted my luck. I trusted her bad luck. And with her alliance with Orian, he was bound to collapse. I simply gave it a push.'

[Host, she is very dangerous. Don't marry that woman.]

'What? Weren't you the one saying I should marry her?'

[No, Host. I believe I misjudged. From what I've heard from you, if she comes near you, you'll be doomed too.]

'Tch. Common sense. Do you even know how dangerous it is to hold a grenade without its pin, relying only on your grip to stop it from exploding?'

[A... grenade?]

'Forget that. Think of it like carrying poison—slowly killing you. But if used correctly, that poison can destroy your enemies too.'

[Please clarify, Host.]

'Just like how main characters are blessed with good luck, I have bad luck—hers. And I plan to align that curse exactly with the people I want to bring down.'

[ Wow... shouldn't mentioning it before make me think you are smart?]

'Tch, who even cares about the process? Everyone only wants results,' Kyle muttered internally, shaking his head as he refocused on the present.

He hadn't explained any of this before, because in his mind, the explanation didn't matter—only the outcome did.

"Then?" Aleriana asked, still confused. Her gaze flicked back to Mialthara, who had first stirred the topic by suggesting Kyle was planning to marry Ruvina—something Kyle now seemed to be outright denying.

Even Mialthara appeared surprised. She had tried to tease the truth out of him with a joke, expecting him to slip up and reveal some hidden motive.

But from how Kyle spoke, it looked like he wasn't even interested in this new woman.

"Then what? I just told her I'd help her if she aligned herself with the other princes and princesses," Kyle explained calmly, though the answer only made Aleriana's suspicion deepen.

If Kyle truly discussed secrets with Ruvina, then why did it sound like she was aligning with Hurf rather than some lesser heir?

"Why not me?" Aleriana asked, tilting her head slightly. It was the perfect moment to raise the question—especially after that woman had sold her favor so cheaply by waving off her artifact.

Following them this far, it was clear Kyle had leverage over Ruvina.

If he used that leverage to benefit Aleriana, it could win her the support of one of the ducal families.

After all, even though Sid hadn't informed Kyle yet, the Arcutus family had already withdrawn their support from Aleriana.

That alone made their stance clear: they wouldn't back the wife of a vanished legitimate son in the battle for the Azure Flame Kingdom's throne.

"...Because I want her to act as a double agent," Kyle announced clearly. His gaze shifted toward Ruvina, whose expression instantly tightened into a frown. After all, there was no such thing as a double agent among royal heirs.

Trust was a rare currency.

No one in their right mind would share valuable secrets with someone they didn't consider family—or something close to it.

In this world, being a 'spy' wasn't a respectable role.

Aligning openly with a faction made nobility see where one stood, and if Ruvina did that, it would simply confirm the Crutrain family's allegiance and strengthen the chosen heir's position—not weaken it.

'He is naive.'

At that moment, Ruvina silently concluded her assessment of Kyle Arcturus.

He might be powerful—a trickster surrounded by loyal women—but in the end, he was still a naive man who didn't fully understand how the world truly worked.

That alone was enough for her. With such a mindset, extracting intel and advantage from him would be all too easy.

"Are you sure?" Aleriana asked again, her tone quieter this time. While Ruvina's alliance might have brought her more immediate benefits, she still chose to trust her husband.

Even without the Arcturus family's support, she would find another way. She wouldn't get in the way of Kyle's choices—especially not when he was the one who knew whatever secret had disqualified Ruvina in the first place.

"Yeah. Just trust me, wife. You will sit on the throne of the Azure Flame Kingdom," Kyle declared boldly.

His words rang with unwavering confidence. Ruvina's eyes flickered in surprise, while Olea and Mialthara remained detached, their expressions unreadable—either doubtful or simply indifferent about who would end up ruling in the end.