Our beautiful evening ended on a very positive note. The next morning I woke up first to the surprise of finding Hancock, Sandersonia and Marigold sprawled all over our room. My mother hadn't woken up yet but I was a bit confused, a delicious smell was coming from outside so I decided to let them sleep first and get answers later.
I levitated Marigold and Sandersonia to the bed and somehow made them squeeze there together with Hancock and my mother, those two are so big... thankfully the bed is massive. After tugging them properly, I made my way out with just a towel covering my body.
Following the trace of the smell that resembled grilled fish, I found two individuals in the kitchen. One was my beloved Primrose, cooking... the other was Isabel who was just sitting in her place, reading the newspapers with what appeared to be a cup of tea.
It didn't look like anything happened between the two. I thought Primrose would jump on her the moment she saw her since she's a celestial dragon, guess I was wrong.
"Good morning".
"Baby!~"
"Good morning, Veyron".
As I expected my wife jumped on me for a deep kiss which I accepted and reciprocated, Isabel gave us a small sidelong glance before going back to her business after receiving my nod.
"Take a seat, breakfast will be finished soon".
"You didn't sleep?" I took a seat as she said opposite to Isabel.
"I didn't... we arrived very early in the morning, the girls went straight to your bed, tired. but I stayed up all morning, talking with Isabel".
"You two talked...?"
"We're civilised individuals... what did you expect?" Isabel deadpanned at me like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"It was a bit explosive at first..." Primrose confessed a bit awkward and Isabel carried on, "Until I told her that I had my eyes on those three girls at all times".
"D-Did you?"
I was a bit shocked, 'Are you telling me you took care of Hancock, Sandersonia and Marigold while they were slaves in Marie Geoise? For what reason? I don't get it'.
"They're Lili's descendants" she revealed, sipping her tea.
!!!
"Nefertari Lili...?" It is this name again.
"Yes. I'm not surprised you know that name, Veyron. It was imperious that nobody realised that... Those three girls are beautiful, they have inherited that woman's grace. They could have easily been chosen by a high-ranked member of a family to get married and give birth to a lower-ranked generation of celestial dragons, just like Ginny. But high-ranked members would have realised their likeness with Lili".
"How? What exactly do they share with Lili? As far as I know, female members of the Nefertari Family have blue hair" None of them share that trait.
"You are right, but that's the Nefertari Family, not Lili's descendants. There is another one which only someone who has interacted with Lili directly -like me and a few counted would know, her hair tendrils".
Isabel stood up from her chair and unashamedly walked up to Primrose, touching her hair while the latter blushed, her gaze was so profound that it concealed feelings I couldn't unravel.
I thought this was going to be a long conversation.
"... Elaborate".
The woman sighed and mumbled a bit before actually elaborating.
"During the void century... Lili had eaten a devil fruit which altered some of her physical attributes, it was a mythical zoan that transformed her into a feline divine beast... her palms were the most evident part of it as they turned like paws".
'Paws...?'
"But there was another part that changed due to the influence of that devil fruit, her hair tendrils. They're extremely difficult to cut".
She emphasised taking a common knife and trying to cut Primrose's hair, something my wife didn't appreciate but didn't complain nonetheless. She wasn't able to cut it.
I looked at Primrose and she shrugged her shoulders, "It is something common in my family, baby. I and my daughters experienced the same toughness, my mother did too. That's why we don't even bother trimming it, it is a hassle. I didn't know it was some sort of heritage, who would know?~".
"Is there anything else special to it other than its toughness?"
I needed something more conclusive, it couldn't be just that the reason why she was able to tell they were Lili's descendants.
"Of course... although I didn't wish to reveal it. Since you're her husband, you should know".
She pointed her finger at the table and in front of my very eyes. The table began to decompose.
"..."
A few seconds later what I saw was a lot of thin lines.
"My devil fruit is the Sen Sen no Mi. I'm a line woman... I can control 'lines'... all types of lines that exist in this world".
Her hand then moved towards me and the hair that my mother had trimmed yesterday began waving erratically... it was as if she had my psychokinesis! What the fu*k?! What do lines have to do with everything she has shown until now?!
How can lines create illusions? how can lines destroy my kinetic barriers?!
"You must have questions but that's beyond the point".
She then pointed her hand towards Primrose and nothing happened.
"Try it yourself... try to use your power... but focus on her hair, not on her".
"..."
With a sceptical gaze I tried to do as she asked, I didn't even need to raise my hand to trigger my psychokinesis. What followed was endless shock, and confusion... and plenty of other emotions that I didn't think of at the moment.
I couldn't control Primrose's hair... there is nothing physical in this world that I can't levitate... but I can't do it with Primrose's hair?!
"Lili's hair had another characteristic... just like her paws and her whole body... she reached a mastery over that devil fruit that rivalled even mine. Her body -hair included- could repel the influence of Haki completely and also devil fruits to some extent".
"..."
Her hand raised again and this time, she did manage to control Primrose's hair, but I still couldn't!
"It is not as simple as it may look... I have fought Lili many times and managed to get over that nonsensical power of hers... others may not be so lucky".
Hair that repels energies... are you telling me that my wife's hair had the answer to all my problems all along?!
"Baby?"
"Prim... I think you're going to be spending a lot of time with me in the workshop".
"Really?! Can I get rid of the paperwork?~"
It may not be as enjoyable as you think, though... sweetheart.