I look up at her with hesitation, wondering what has come to this...a few minutes have passed since the guy with the greatest gift left with curses and gritted teeth.
And well?
Yeah, now I'm the one to give her my proposal...
"Oh, you were the fool from the streets," Her eyes twinkled with a sense of curiosity, looking revitalized. It seemed like she preferred to see someone...new than deal with the usual line of men that come to her pagoda.
However, that didn't last for long since she returned to her stoic behavior. "So you've heard of my conditions?" She asks, resting her hand on her cheeks.
"...yes," I answered back, smiling at her nervously. I'm sure she could sense it. I was fidgeting, my eyes looking at anything else aside from her eyes.
"Hmm...very well, if you're that confident," She hums, her lips slightly parted as she holds a parchment of paper in her hands. "You're a newcomer, so I'll ask you questions,"
"What is the most important aspect of a wife for you?" She asked, and for sure, I could feel a chill run all over my body.
"She knows everything, she will know I'm lying," I convinced myself, not even sure if it's because of her stare or if she cast one of her skills on me. I've heard that NPCS can do that to players.
"I...I don't know," I answer truthfully, making her squint her eyes in response. She doesn't comment, and only stares at me...or rather...what's inside of me?
It looked like she was looking at me, but at the same time, it did not.
"Mmm...and what do you intend to do if I were your wife?" She asks another question, making my head float into nothingness.
"I don't know," I answer again, seeing a vein pop on her forehead. I can tell...she's probably thinking "What type of idiot is this person?".
Yeah...that's my bad. I don't think I could even lie since my mouth is running off the words by myself.
"...what is the best thing you can offer your wife?" She asks, her tone growing more and more impatient. Her hands tap the table constantly, getting annoyed of my "I don't know," antics.
For a moment, I believed myself to say something just as stupid as "I don't know," but what came out was rather different.
"Food, care, and loyalty," I answer, making her look a bit intrigued. Perhaps my answers were different from those who came before me.
But oh, what do I know? Maybe she just likes food.
"And the worst thing you can offer your wife?" She asks, and immediately, my heart feels restricted and constrained...
Why am I feeling like this? I know I'm not a bad person.
I'm my mother's son who's dedicated everything into becoming a son who she would be proud of. I'm--
"That...that I came from my father," I answer, almost feeling like my mind was reeling into some sort of nausea that came from nowhere.
I could tell she was alarmed, as the nauseating feeling stopped.
Along with a sudden and immediate stop of whatever she did to make me feel like I should answer the truth from the bottom of my thoughts.
She grows silent, as she snaps her fingers, forming a circular barrier between the both of us.
"What is your biggest motivation to make me your wife?" She asks, her voice and tone devoid of anything-- not even compassion or pity for the backlash of pain I felt earlier.
I keep my silence momentarily, shaking my head off the pain from those questions I was forced to answer.
I've thought of lying, of saying something that she wanted to hear instead of something true.
I can do it now that she's dispelled her skill...but in the end, I told her the truth.
"To make a lot of money," I answer, and her brow twitches, another vein popping on her head.
She scoffs at me and looks at me with disgust. "So you plan to make me one of those slaves in those men-ran brothels?" She asks the aura I'm feeling from her intimidating my whole body.
"What?! No! I meant-" I look at her with confusion, and immediately try to think of the words that would explain my current predicament.
"I meant...I wanted to earn money in this world with only having one wife. It's so that I can keep my promise to my mother...I want to de-activate the harem settings in my way...if that makes sense..." I explain to her, making her look at me less hostile, but still rather annoyed.
She lets go of the barrier immediately, and scoffs, casting me aside. "Settings and promises...you speak nonsense. Your turn is done." She remarks, as she moves up from her seat and speaks words that no one in line would like to hear.
"I'm done for the day, I won't be taking any more proposals," She shouts, making everyone in line's efforts turn into nothingness.
What just happened?
Wait a minute...woah.
I actually lucked out on being the last person to "propose" to her...or rather, that seemed more like an interrogation than a proposal.
...I then leave the pagoda and walk the path down the mountain, making my knees cry in pain. Damn, they say that games are fun...but the most popular game right now has been nothing more but a pain for me...both mentally and physically!
I move to the beam of light and log out, checking the time. It was 7:10 pm, which meant that it was nearing dinner time...and thankfully?
My mother has already cooked food for me, even though I already told her I could do it for her...oh well, she beat me to it fair and square, so I don't blame her.
...I gobble the food down to the last bit, looking at my mother with gratitude, and she only looks at me skeptically.
"Why are you so hungry?" She asks as she serves me some more vian from the table.
"I walked a lot in a game I was playing," I sighed, making her laugh. "That's good, you should do that more often,"
I only smile playfully in response. "Maybe that will happen if my proposal is considered by her...but oh well, we'll have to wait and see tomorrow,"
~~~
Meanwhile, in the world of Belunia, Rosylviana is sitting down on the ornamental and well-furnished wooden chair that she kept in her living room, especially when it was an artifact that long existed before the men came to the world she used to know. It's always been her hobby to sit on this particular chair when she felt anxious.
It was a perfect example of a rare and serene moment that a person of her stature would have less than a little luxury to have. She must always stay headstrong and upright, but this sudden change...
"That fool in the streets..." She whispers as she looks at the paper she used for her interrogation. Her eyes droop down low, looking back and forth between the paper and her own hands, a hint of sadness visible in her eyes as she grits her teeth.
"It seems like I'll be announcing my wedding tomorrow," She sighed, not the least bit happy about the sudden change in her situation...it was unbelievable to find a man so earnest, that the turmoil in his heart came from the fear of not being the son his mother wished him to be.
It's the perfect partner she's demanded from the gods, and she can't lie to them...not when it would only lead to her people's ruination. "I must fulfill my duty, even if it against my wants...and thus, I shall abide by the will of the gods,"