Shiro then raised a hand politely, her calm demeanor oddly out of place in the raucous scene. "Pray tell, might I also indulge myself in this marriage custom?"
"Hmmm," Tamayō placed a finger to her chin, pondering deeply, "but who would you marry? Everyone else here is already betrothed, and… well, the purple one over there has been reduced to ash."
"Then why not have Shiro marry Haha-ue?" Brown blurted out, earning yet another round of gleeful cheers from the rest of the siblings.
"Banzai! Banzai!"
"Eh?!" Tamayō cried out, shocked. "But I already intended to marry the Supreme Lord! I fear he may no longer accept me if he learns I married one of my own children."
"Hmmm. A predicament indeed," murmured several voices at once.
The kitsunes began to deliberate seriously, their expressions shifting from joy to solemn contemplation.
For as much as they wished to see Shiro settled and married, none of them desired to sacrifice their own newfound engagements. Still, they could not bear the thought of her remaining alone.
After a long pause, Gold broke the silence with a contemplative tone. "I cannot say for certain, but I have a strong hunch that Onee-sama will absolutely oppose this arrangement."
The hall filled with nods of agreement and muttered affirmations.
"You're right."
"Exactly so."
"Onee-sama actually can be such a wet blanket."
"I worry for her future, I truly do."
"She is always so awfully serious."
"Yes, and so very lonely… and still single as well. And getting old. She might never get married at this rate."
"As her mother, I could not be more concerned," Tamayō declared, her voice heavy with emotion. "I long to see all my children finally tie the knot. Yet alas, I must not force her hand into something against her will."
"Then it is decided," Green announced solemnly, tightening her grip around Shiro's hand. "Shiro, will you consent to join Gold and myself in matrimony?"
Shiro slowly lifted her gaze, her crimson eyes glistening with emotion.
Her long white lashes trembled, casting shadows upon the cross-engraved pupils that burned within. "Hai! Green, Gold!" she cried, wiping away her tears. "I would be honored to marry my sisters. Nothing else would bring me greater joy!"
Once again, the palace was filled with jubilant cheers, their voices echoing off the golden walls.
"Let us hold the ceremony on the very same day!" Gold exclaimed, her tone brimming with mischief. "And we will invite those wretched wolves. They will gnash their filthy teeth in envy while watching us bask in our happiness!"
"I shall begin preparing the invitations at once," Silver volunteered with a proud hand upon his chest.
"Is this not the most wonderful thing?" Tamayō declared through flowing tears, her gaze sweeping across the engaged pairs, each holding their chosen partners. "The only one left now is myself. Yet I vow before you, my beloved children; mark my words! I shall conquer the heart of the Supreme Lord and stand beside you, not only as your mother, but as a married woman!"
"Yaaaaayyyy!!" The kitsunes leapt up together, embracing and laughing, their voices raised in wild celebration.
But then Tamayō, caught in her own excitement, paused to reflect and asked hesitantly, "Incidentally… to be entirely truthful, I have no real idea what transpires at a wedding. Levina only mentioned it briefly to me, a moment ago. You, uh…"
"You still haven't named me, Haha-ue," Gold interrupted cheerfully, reminding her mother with a grin.
"Ah, yes, of course," Tamayō raised her hand dramatically. "I am saving that honor for the Supreme Lord himself! But answer me this—tell me, do you actually know what a wedding, or marriage itself, truly means? You always seem so well-informed in these matters."
"Achaaa…" Gold scratched the back of her head with a sheepish laugh. "I'm sorry, but I've got little to no clue on that one. The books I managed to dig up from the Primordial Knowledge Library only explained the whole baby-making part—which apparently comes after the marriage."
"Now that is a tricky situation," Green admitted, folding her arms thoughtfully. "How then are we to celebrate our weddings, if none of us even understand the customs?"
"Maybe Onee-sama would know?" Brown suggested nervously, pointing at the pile of ashes scattered across the polished marble floor. "She's the one who always has the most access to the library books, so she must know something for sure."
"Onee-sama! Turn back into a person already and answer our questions!" Red shouted at the ashes with characteristic bluntness.
The ash immediately began to swirl and rise, reforming into Onee-sama's figure.
But instead of answering, she merely glared at them, her aura erupting like a suffocating storm that filled every corner of the hall.
"Ugh! Onee-sama looks furious about something!" Gold flinched, shrinking back.
"Wh-why are you even surprised?" Green stammered, trembling beside her. "We literally planned out all our marriages without including her."
"That is… reasonable," Gold admitted with a solemn nod. "If it were me, I'd be angry too."
All eyes turned nervously toward the seething Onee-sama, whose overwhelming presence made the air heavy.
"Uhm… P-please calm down, Onee-sama," Gold stuttered, sweat forming at her brow. "M-maybe we can… you know… find you a good and responsible Specter Wolf to marry?"
Green added, "We could even help you propose to Trigger or Hachiman! What do you say?"
"F-fear not, daughter of mine!" Tamayō exclaimed, shifting away with flustered dignity. "I, too, am a bachelor. Perhaps the Supreme Lord will grant you a wonderful man… or even a woman, should fate decree it!"
"..."
"…"
***
"So, do you all understand now why siblings should never marry one another?" Onee-sama raised her finger in authority, lecturing the group while the culprits—Tamayō, Gold, and Green—remained bound, from mouth to feet, in writhing fox-fire.
"So… marriage love is different from siblings' love?" Blue asked innocently, tilting her head.
"Exactly," Onee-sama replied firmly. "We can and should love each other as a family, but marriage is not meant for those who share blood ties. Do you all understand?"
"Hai, Onee-sama!" they chorused in unison.
"Tsk!" Brown scowled, folding his arms. "I can't believe Gold, Green, and Haha-ue almost dragged us down into becoming the scum of society."
"Such is the result of ignorance," Onee-sama declared, her tone cool yet satisfied that her lesson had struck home. "So in order not to fall into such disgrace as they did, you must all diligently study the books in the Library of Primordial Knowledge. Am I clear?"
"Hai, Onee-sama!"
Their chorus rang out with conviction, a sound that filled Onee-sama with satisfaction. A small smile touched her lips.
"But…" Silver slowly raised a hand, Blue still clinging tightly to his arm.
"Yes, Silver?"
"Gold mentioned something earlier about… 'baby-making.' May I ask what that means?"
"Alright, it is time to prepare dinner!" Onee-sama suddenly announced, rising to her feet with graceful authority. "All of you, come and help me in the kitchen at once."
"What about those three?" Red asked, pointing at the wriggling captives.
"There shall be no dinner for evildoers," Onee-sama decreed, her expression sharp. "They will remain bound until my rage subsides."
Without further discussion, the kitsunes filed out of the throne room, leaving the condemned behind in their futile mumbling.
"Onee-sama," Red piped up sweetly, tugging at her sleeve, "teach me that trick where you turned into ash earlier, just from hearing hogwash!"
"Oh, that was nothing more than a little gag trick," Onee-sama explained, her lips curving faintly. "Perhaps, if you pray to the author, he might consider granting you one such scene."
"Ehhh? That adult loser who still lives with his mother? Why should I waste my prayers on him?" Red scoffed.
"Red. Watch your tongue: They are watching us." Onee-sama's sharp reprimand cut through the air. "Instead, let us talk about how we can trick Haha-ue into properly naming us."
"Eh? You haven't up yet? She keeps saying it's meant for the Supreme Lord... But... who actually is this Supreme Lord?"