Huh?
Is this for real?
Alexei and Sofia stood there, completely stunned.
What do you mean they are all your wives?
No.
What kind of madness is this?
What the hell did this guy feed you all?
Reze and the others looked so firm and unapologetic that it made Alexei and Sofia feel like they were the strange ones.
Sofia forced a smile. She turned to Reze and spoke carefully.
"Child, is this truly what you want? To share a husband with all these girls?"
"Mama, it is not that complicated," Reze said with a calm shrug. "We all seriously like Cael, and Cael loves us too, so we are getting married together. That sounds like a happy ending to me."
"Exactly," Asa added. "Reze and Makima are both amazing people. Living with Cael like this makes us happy."
Makima nodded slightly. "Rules are rigid, but people are not. Compared to a lifetime of happiness, what others think does not matter."
Fami said nothing and continued eating.
She had wanted to stir things up earlier.
But now, she lost interest.
Compared to marrying Cael, being treated like a toy sounded more entertaining.
Sigh.
Alexei let out a long breath and gently tugged Sofia's sleeve.
"Let it go, Sofia. If it were not for Cael, we would have died back at the Lubyanka Building. Reze has grown up."
"If this makes her happy, then we should respect her choice."
"I knew you would understand, Dad," Reze said with a grin.
She grabbed the vodka from Cael's hand and chugged half the bottle without hesitation.
Cael rubbed his chin, thinking.
Everyone was here now.
At this point, things were clear.
Alexei and Sofia were Reze's parents.
Asa, like him, had no family.
Makima was a devil and did not even understand the concept of parents.
That meant Alexei and Sofia were the only real family his wives had.
And honestly, he had already been living with Asa, Makima, and Reze for a long time. They were basically married already.
Asa was even pregnant with his child.
Yeah, it was time to make it official.
The three of them might not care much about formalities.
But Cael did.
They deserved more than just paperwork.
A proper wedding was necessary.
Cael looked at each of them in turn.
"Asa, Reze, Makima, since we are already talking about it, why not just pick a date and get the wedding done?"
The moment he said it, their eyes lit up.
Of course they would be excited. None of them had ever experienced something like that before.
Reze, already a bit drunk, blushed slightly and raised a finger.
"Eh, how about tomorrow?"
"What? No," Asa said immediately. "That is way too rushed. This is a once in a lifetime wedding. We need time to prepare and pick a proper date."
Makima lowered her gaze, thinking for a moment.
"Valentine's Day, February 14th, is about twenty days away. That could work."
"I do not mind," Cael said. "I am not the kind of guy who checks calendars for lucky dates anyway."
Reze finished the rest of the vodka and flopped onto Cael's lap, resting her head there comfortably.
"Then you guys figure it out. Just wake me up when it is time to get married."
Asa frowned slightly.
"I do not think Valentine's Day is right either."
"Why not?" Makima asked.
Asa took a deep breath.
"I do not like February 14th. That day is tied to a tragic story."
She began explaining, as she always did when something was on her mind.
"In ancient Rome, Emperor Claudius II banned young men from marrying because he thought single men made better soldiers."
"A priest named Valentine thought that was cruel, so he secretly married couples."
"Eventually, he was caught and sentenced to death."
"It is said that while he was imprisoned, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter."
"The day before his execution, he wrote her a letter and signed it, From your Valentine."
"He was executed on February 14th."
Asa lowered her head.
"They loved each other, but they could not be together in the end. I hate that kind of ending."
"So I do not want our wedding to be on that day."
Cael nodded.
"Yeah, fair enough. That is a depressing way to start a marriage."
Makima looked at her.
"Then what do you suggest?"
Asa smiled and held Cael's hand.
"It is simple. Cael is from X, so I looked into their traditions."
"Their version of Valentine's Day is not February 14th."
"It is the Qixi Festival, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This year, it falls on August 16th."
"More importantly, the story behind it is better."
"Lovers separated by fate are allowed to reunite once a year on a bridge of magpies."
"That is beautiful."
"August 16th?" Reze smirked. "By then, your baby will already be born, right?"
Asa's face turned red.
"That does not matter. Who says you need to get married before having a baby?"
Makima nodded thoughtfully.
"The Qixi Festival sounds appropriate."
She turned to Cael.
"What do you think?"
"Then that is settled," Cael said. "We will hold the wedding on the Qixi Festival."
Fami smiled faintly.
While everyone had been busy talking, she had quietly cleared all the food from their plates.
She wiped her mouth.
"Do not get too excited. The King of Terror is supposed to descend in July. There is no guarantee any of you will still be alive by August."
Reze rested on his lap, while Asa and Makima leaned against him.
Cael did not even blink.
"If that thing tries to ruin our happiness, I will make the Death Devil understand what real death feels like."
...
Meiji Shrine.
Beneath the towering torii gate, a wedding was taking place.
It followed traditional Shinto customs.
The groom wore a black kimono, a small white ornament pinned to his chest, holding a folding fan.
The bride wore a pure white shiromuku.
The head priest, Kawanashibi, led the procession under a red umbrella, accompanied by shrine maidens wearing fox masks and the soft sound of gagaku music.
Soon, they reached the main hall.
Under the priest's guidance, the couple exchanged cups of sake.
Then came the vows.
Kawanashibi spoke solemnly.
"Repeat after me."
"Does someone call for love?"
"To protect my beloved,"
"My heart burns fiercely."
"At this wedding, I swear,"
"I will turn this body into a crimson candle,"
"Until it burns to ash,"
"This love will never change."