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[Nagami]: Got it! For the water spring, there's an endless supply—absolutely no problem!
[Lumine]: Hehe~
[Nagami]: Ahahaha
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Their messages popped up at the exact same time, their chemistry maxed out.
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[Shiraori]: Ugh, these two are at it again!
[Akemi Homura]: I know it might sound a little rude, but… as Lumine's brother, it reall does seem exhausting in every possible way!
[Blank@Sora]: Shiro, this is the perfect example of what not to do as a little sister!
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Since he too was an older brother, Sora had wanted to help out this Aether who seemed like a kindred spirit by talking some sense into Nagami and Lumine.
But after thinking about it for a bit knowing how well he could read people, and understanding the two of them all too well, he decided to give up on that idea.
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: Don't worry, I'll have a good talk with Shiro~
[Blank@Sora]: No! Lumine, I take it back! I was wrong!
———————————————————————
The group chat once again filled with laughter and lighthearted chaos.
After a long, heartfelt mother-daughter talk, the tension between Alexandra and Bronya had melted away completely.
Alexandra had told her daughter all kinds of things—like how her family used to be a in military, and how she herself had once been a soldier.
Bronya also got to hear the story of how her parents first met, which, unbelievably, all started because of an oven.
Their conversation had become so warm and natural that no trace of the initial stiffness remained.
It was just like any ordinary mother and daughter chatting about life.
Though… calling them mother and daughter wasn't quite accurate.
Nagami had created Alexandra's body based entirely on her appearance during the Second Eruption, which meant the current Alexandra looked no older than her early twenties.
Standing next to Bronya, no one would ever think they were mother and daughter.
They looked far more like sisters.
And of course, when talking about life, it was impossible not to bring him up.
So—
With a gentle air that couldn't hide the teasing smile on her face, Alexandra tightened her hold on Bronya's arm, leaning close to whisper in her delicate, pale ear.
"Bronya, how far have you and Nagami gotten? Are you married yet? When are you planning to have kids?"
Bronya hadn't even had time to process the question before she saw her mother pause, as if suddenly realizing something, and then look straight at her.
Alexandra's eyes lingered on Bronya's refined, adorable features, then slowly drifted downward.
Lowering her gaze, she realized she couldn't even see her own feet past her chest.
Pressing her lips together, she said, "It's fine. Bronya still has plenty of room to grow. Once you're older, you'll definitely reach your mother's level!"
Her encouraging tone sparkled with conviction.
She glanced around, her eyes shining, then placed her right hand gently on the slender back of the silver-haired girl and leaned in again.
"If you're in a hurry, you could always let Nagami… massage them a little. That might speed things up."
Bronya froze, her expression going stiff as her eyes blinked blankly in disbelief at her mother.
Such outrageous words!
So this is the kind of mom you are!?
"Mother, Bronya and partner do not share that kind of relationship."
Her voice was as flat and emotionless as usual—but just barely, there was the tiniest ripple in it.
For a girl like Bronya, who lived her life in monotone, that slight crack was proof of genuine emotion.
"What's there to be embarrassed about with your mom?" Alexandra chuckled, rubbing her cheek against Bronya's. "Besides, back when I first met him, he called me 'Mother-in-law,' you know~!"
Her daughter really was just too cute.
Her Silver-gray eyes flickered with a trace of disbelief—and, faintly, a spark of joy.
But once Bronya calmed down, she let out a helpless sigh.
"With his personality, most likely he was just joking around."
Back when they used to game together in the dorms, Bronya only needed to see Nagami lean slightly forward in his seat to know exactly what he was about to do.
Between skilled players, that kind of unspoken understanding needed no explanation.
After a long-time playing game together, climbing to the top of technical gaming leaderboards, had forged a bond that had naturally spilled over into their daily lives.
It still wasn't quite on the level of Nagami's synergy with C.C., but if Bronya's suspicion was right…
Knowing Nagami's character all too well, she could easily picture what he'd say.
When it came to Kiana's mother, he'd probably also call her Mother-in-law.
So what was Bronya supposed to do?
Her still-youthful face revealed a rare hesitation.
Of course she knew how precious a Herrscher Core was—yet Nagami had simply handed one over to her without a second thought.
He also plans to help her to rescue Seele, and even brought her real mother back to life.
Through it all, he had never once asked for anything in return.
Even the infamous assassin "Silver Wolf of Ural" would have been moved by that.
Bronya wasn't a tsundere—she was a kuudere.
She had no habit of lying to herself about what was in her heart.
It seemed the "expiration date" on simple camaraderie wasn't as long as she thought.
She wasn't even sure when, exactly, things had changed.
But then… what about Seele?
"Looks like things aren't as simple as I imagined."
Wearing a gentle smile, Alexandra rose to her feet, watching her daughter sink into silence. "Would you mind telling Mom the details? Maybe I can help—or at least give you some advice."
Bronya hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod.
———————————————————————
"I think I understand the situation now."
Cecilia nodded slightly, her gaze drifting between the three white-haired girls lined up in front of her—each identical in appearance, differing only by hairstyle.
Her eyes carried a knowing glint.
With her intelligence, grasping the concept of parallel worlds had been easy.
And from her careful observation, it seemed that even this daughter from another world harbored a certain… special feeling toward C.C.
Well, they were all Kiana, after all. It wasn't hard to imagine their standards in love would be similar.
But still—
"Ah…"
Cecilia couldn't help sighing as her thoughts turned to C.C., and everything she had done for Kiana and Sirin.
Even her own chance to exist in this world again was thanks to her.
That ever-elegant, confident figure.
That overwhelming strength.
That dazzling beauty, capable of stealing even her breath away.
That air of casual grace laced with mystery sharp enough to cut to the heart.
If Cecilia had met C.C. before Siegfried… she might not have been able to resist.
But the moment that thought arose, it melted away just as quickly.
As long as her daughters found happiness, that was enough.
"Mm… in that case, it seems me getting to hold a granddaughter might be a rather difficult dream, huh."
Putting on a troubled expression, Cecilia pressed a slender finger against her chin, her eyes sweeping seriously over her daughters.
Truly worthy of being a mother-in-law—the concerns were exactly the same.
"Mom, what are you even saying?!"
The three white-haired girls all blushed bright red at once.
Their blue eyes, when they met Cecilia's, were filled with bashful embarrassment.
Their protests slipped out almost reflexively, but when the little "paramecium" opened her mouth to argue further, her words caught in her throat.
Her gaze swept over her two older sisters, both silently blushing, and she swallowed back the rest of her retort.
With a stammer, she finally spoke.
"N-no, that's… that's not it! Nagami is a boy, so… s-so a granddaughter or something like that…"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, her whole face burning crimson as faint steam practically puffed from the top of her head.
Her heart clenched with regret—why had she said something like that, in front of Mom and her sisters of all people!? Uuu…
This was all their fault! If those two had denied it, she never would have blurted that out!
And just like that—everyone was swept up into chaos again.
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