"...So, what are you trying to say?" Kiana asked, as if she already knew the answer.
But inside, she was anything but calm.
She lifted a small hand, her fingertips lightly brushing against her own lips, as if savoring the lingering sensation, sending ripples through her heart.
Hearing Kiana's words, Elysia paused for a moment.
Her eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears as she shot Kiana a fierce glare.
We're at this point already, I've gone and done this, and you're still asking me?!
"I love you... Happy now?!" she huffed, puffing her cheeks.
She looked like a young bride throwing a minor tantrum.
Kiana absolutely adored this soft, flustered side of her.
Her smile grew even sweeter.
Elysia humphed, seemingly to cover her own embarrassment. "Don't get cocky. No matter what that woman is like, I! Elysia! Have never seen her as a rival."
'My dear Kiana…'
'Your first kiss wasn't hers, nor anyone else's. It was me, Elysia's!'
She raised her head proudly, a hint of smugness in her expression.
"What that means is, no matter how hard she tries, or what anyone else does, they all have to get in line behind me."
"I... I won't go with you to meet Jyahnar."
"Later, you can just bring her back directly!"
Thinking about it a little...
Oh~
Sometimes, no matter how much you think, no matter how tangled your thoughts get, once you muster your courage and cross that threshold...
Everything after becomes different.
The world opens up, bright and clear!
It definitely wouldn't be like all the torment and worry you imagined before.
Elysia was in high spirits. She had regained her usual vitality, and was even visibly a bit giddy.
Kiana's little mouth was like jelly—soft, bouncy, moist.
Even if it was just for a moment. But that's fine!
Where there's a first time, there's a second, and then a third.
She wasn't angry.
That was more than enough!
She could just sneak more tastes later.
Elysia realized she kinda liked this.
Even though everyone was in the living room...
Here they were, in the kitchen, like this, right here.
So thrilling!
"Ahh~" Outside the kitchen, by the wall.
Eden let out a soft sigh, seeming both relieved yet also a little helpless.
What did she mean, 'everyone's in the living room'?
She had been right here, eavesdropping like a fly on the wall, hearing everything between Elysia and Kiana clearly.
The other girls hadn't noticed anything here.
She had originally pretended to get some ice water from the fridge in the dining area to quench her thirst.
But now, she felt even more parched. Not quenching this thirst just wouldn't do~
She really wasn't lying.
Aponia remained as serene as ever; she understood everything.
Miss Sakura, also with sharp ears, had a faint blush on her cheeks but pretended not to know.
Probably the only one completely unaware was Kiana's mother.
Perhaps!
Even if they didn't say it out loud...
In their hearts, each girl had her own thoughts.
You know!
Just like Eden said, actions like Elysia's earlier, the ones filled with inner conflict...
It's all perfectly normal!
Because...originally, all the girls knew about each other, accepted each other, and seemed to be on the same starting line, pulling each other back and competing.
On the surface, Kiana didn't show it.
But in reality, they had all thought about it a lot!
But...
That's right!
No one was in a hurry, or worried.
Even knowing about Jyahnar's existence, they weren't particularly tense.
However, now it was completely different!
Just knowing that Jyahnar was charging towards Kiana with overwhelming, almost devouring intensity...
They all simultaneously felt a sense of foreboding.
That was their intuition as girls.
Telling them, this one probably wouldn't be easy to deal with.
In the projections, yes, in the projections.
Hearing Kiana talk about her, she seemed like a nice girl.
But!
Being a nice girl and having a high possessiveness are two completely different things.
You're clearly a hyper-aggressive carnivore playing for keeps.
While they were all still stuck in the 'will-they-won't-they' phase...
She might have already rounded all the bases.
How could that be allowed?!
It was like tossing a giant grenade into a calm lake.
Water splashed everywhere, the surface boiling!
The girls who weren't in a hurry began to feel some urgency.
The girls who were unsure of their feelings, who only had a bit of a crush, now felt a little pressure too.
If Aponia, who understood her place from the very beginning, was content to be just a lover, not fighting, not striving, just watching the drama from the audience seats...
Then!
Miss Sakura looked over at Eden.
Eden, seeming to sense her gaze, glanced back and gave a slight nod.
She probably started thinking more deeply.
What... do I truly want?
Eden: Is it just because in the future's script, I'm her wife?
Sakura: Is it... just to repay a debt of gratitude?
A girl's heart is a delicate thing indeed.
Really!
The more they thought about Miss Jyahnar's imminent arrival...the less calm they felt.
It wasn't just Elysia acting out of character earlier.
Even they might not be as composed as they appeared on the surface.
At the very least!
They knew perfectly well.
The first one to face off against Jyahnar would only be Elysia.
After all, she and Jyahnar were the two fiancées officially designated by Miss Kiana.
The weight of being a childhood bride... held too much advantage!
Forget all that talk about childhood friends losing to sudden newcomers.
If the childhood friend makes a move first, most of the time, the newcomer doesn't stand a chance. Unless the childhood friend is completely outmatched in every way, like some hopeless case, then that's a different story.
But no matter how good Jyahnar is...
She couldn't possibly surpass Elysia.
Or rather, they each had their own merits.
Who could truly outdo the other?
It was merely a different kind of beauty.
Yet both were perfect, flawless!
"Huh? Ellie."
"Weren't you going with Nana beyond the solar system to pick up Jyahnar?"
"Why didn't you go?"
Kiana's mother was confirming tonight's menu with Miss Sakura when she suddenly spotted Elysia out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but feel curious and a little surprised.
"Mom!"
"I still wanted to come help you!"
"So~ Elysia decided to stay!"
"As for Kiana, I'll let Jyahnar have her for now. I won't go and complicate things."
"By the way, is there anything you need help with?"
Elysia was getting more and more comfortable calling her 'Mom.'
Honestly, she was the only one who had called Kiana's mother 'Mom' from the very first moment she saw her.
Sweetly, naturally.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Others, like Miss Sakura, or Rin, called her 'Auntie.'
If possible, Kiana's mother actually wished the other girls—including Eden, and Aponia—would just call her Mom too.
But seeing that they seemed a bit reluctant, avoiding the topic intentionally or not, she didn't push it.
After all, it's bound to happen eventually! No need to rush. Right?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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