Chapter 408: Night Chat Under The Stars
We strolled around the city for a few hours, and the darkness enveloped the sky with its void. A banquet was prepared for our special guests, and our residence was quite lively tonight.
"What a wonderful night, isn\'t it?"
"Truly, it is."
"Indeed, Raphael. The stars are so mesmerizing."
Clink.
While the great hall was filled with colliding glasses and men\'s laughter, I secluded myself in the garden outside. Staring at the countless jewels of the clear night sky, I stood in between my future wives, Iris and Sophia, with a glass of beverage in our hands, cheering a toast.
While Iris and I had whiskey, which I branded moonshine in this world, Sophia took a wine with a low alcohol content that suited her gentle tolerance. This night was special, and I could not afford it if she was sleeping soundly after being knocked out by a shot of strong whiskey.
"Sigh. Even though I am the lord of this domain, I chose to relax her together with my precious girls. I should be tending our guests, but my parents insisted they would be doing it instead."
"I think there is no problem with taking a rest, Raphael," Iris said. "Perhaps you stressed out yourself this recently and your parents wanted you to take it slow?"
"You are right, Iris." Sophia nodded her head. "Even before he attended the academy, Raphael has been exerting so much effort for his family. He started a business from scratch, almost killing himself in order to get stronger, conquering the most difficult dungeon, and even establishing a whole new nation."
"Amazing, that\'s really cool of him. So much dedication for the sake of his family."
"Yeah, he is such a hardworking person. That is why, as his future wife, I have dedicated my life to supporting him with the best I can."
"We are in the same boat, Sophia."
"You, girls..."
After their short conversation, Iris and Sophia smiled gently at one another, as if their minds had just synchronized. Seeing them in harmony about thinking about my wellbeing really melted my heart. I was glad to have someone like them by my side.
I was sure that Sophia was true to her words. I was also smiling, but my mind was not fully in it. I told myself not to be bothered by doubts, but I could not escape the thought of Iris casting me away if she ever learned about my dark secrets. I just thought to myself to be positive and not ruin this moment.
"The past was a hustle, and so is the future. These next several days or weeks will be busier than usual: finalizing my sister\'s engagement, working on my engagement with Iris, and, on top of all, my parents\' marriage with Gabrielle." "That must be stressful," Iris said as she put her hand on my back. "But all your efforts would soon be fruitful."
"Thanks, Iris."
"Speaking of that, your family is fully into women, huh? Your parents are marrying a lady again, and your sister has found one for herself. I don\'t want to question their decision, but I wonder why they decided to give birth to you?"
For a family of women with the ability to procreate without the need for men through skills, it was completely normal for Iris to be curious why I existed in the first place.
Not only her, but many had been wondering about that, and some said that I, and even Big Sis, were not actually their child. It made sense since not all people were aware of the extraordinary powers of the AlphaOmega extra skill. And there were also those homophobics who despised the family.
I already knew the answer to her question the night I confessed my erotic love for my parents and became one with them. But it was the root of my secrets, so I would be providing her with some plausible explanation.
"Well, I wondered about that too and asked them about it." I responded. "We already have my sister, who inherited Mother\'s abilities, and she could be the next head. However, they were the first homosexual couple on this continent\'s nobility, and they had been targets of criticism at that time."
"Society won\'t completely understand and accept everything novel. We cannot control people after all."
"True. After having my sister, my parents doubted that people wouldn\'t accept her as their next ruler as this world is mostly following patriarchy. In order to fit in with society as well as secure the prosperity of our domain, they ultimately decided to conceive a man, and here I am."
"So that\'s the story behind it. It must be hard for them," Iris said, and then she grabbed my arm. "But I am glad they did."
"Fufu," Sophia giggled, locking her arm with mine. "I am glad that they made the Raphael I love so much."
"Thank you, Iris, Sophia. But now that I think about it, I have been wondering, What if I was born female? Will you two stay like this?"
Suddenly, that thought surfaced in my mind, and I unconsciously blurted it out. Hearing that, Iris and Sophia seemed to be dumbfounded by it and dazed for a few seconds.
"Well," Sophia said first. "If that were the case, for me, I probably would not be standing next to you as I am not really into the same gender. But since we were related, we might be seeing more often, so there would be time for me to love you."
"How sweet, Sophia."
"If you only changed physically, then I don\'t have a problem loving you," Iris said. "It doesn\'t matter what you look like; I only have my eyes on you, Raphael. I don\'t mind loving a woman, as long as it\'s you."
"If you say so, Iris."
They said these words as if our relationship were a canon event, no matter what timeline it was. But I was really glad and relieved when I heard them say that.