[Nightmare]

Helix walked back into his room awkwardly.

His partners were waiting as he had received an official summoning.

It was already sundown, and the [summons] took six hours, so they were all waiting with anxious expressions.

Over the last five days, he had been in innumerable meetings with the Royal Cabinet.

Queen Liliana had asked for him multiple times for meetings in person.

However, this invitation was an official summons, so everyone was on edge.

When Marie, Charlotte, and Riley saw his hesitant expression, they immediately defaulted to the worst-case scenario.

"Do I have to push the moat back together and cause mass flooding?" Marie asked in a serious tone.

Helix's eyes trembled in confusion.

"Can you even do—"

"I think the Capital could use another a niiiiiice~big~sun." Charlotte chimed.

"Uh, no. I don't think—"

"Helix. If there's something on your mind you can tell us." Riley suggested sweetly.

Helix sighed a breath of—

"Together we can find a destructive display that will minimize relational damage. We're a team." She added with a bright smile.

He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

It was rare for him to do so around them, so everyone's eyes shot to attention.

Their bloodlust was boiling over.

"The Kingdom isn't raising a major fuss." Helix announced with a melancholy voice.

"Then what's going on?" Marie asked worriedly.

Helix opened and closed his mouth multiple times.

Eventually, he decided to rip off the bandaid.

"To solve the mounting political issues in the Kingdom, Queen Liliana has formally requested that I marry Princess Eliza."

Shock rang out in the room.

"That fucking bitch!" Marie growled.

She tried to storm out of the room, but Charlotte held her back.

"Marie. Mass murder is a rational solution for this offense." Charlotte announced.

Helix's eyes widened in terror.

Marie was trying to escape, but Charlotte had the highest strength stat by a mile.

"But Hellie would be extremely angry and would've turned them down if there wasn't a reason." Charlotte continued.

"So let's at~least figure out [who] we're killing."

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Helix started sweating again.

The situation had devolved into a complete trainwreck.

Marie looked at him with eyes that demanded an answer.

She wasn't angry at him; she had just had enough.

Helix took a deep breath and sighed again.

"As Charlotte pointed out, I would have turned them down instantly under normal circumstances."

Marie's eyes started welling with tears.

She didn't want to believe he would break their harem agreement.

He started feeling a pang in his heart seeing her expression.

"However, it's a political marriage." Helix sighed with turmoil in his eyes.

"That means that Eliza wouldn't have to live or interact with us, and there's an unspoken agreement that I could fake the consummation.

It's in name only. So it won't affect our relationship at all unless we let it."

Marie's expression crumbled, and she felt ashamed for a minute.

Who could blame her?

Sharing Helix with three others was a huge emotional sacrifice in the beginning.

He would have turned everyone else down for her so long as he could keep Emelia by his side for life.

More importantly, harem cliches are emotionally damaging.

The first extra wife is like a floodgate that allows every applicant through the door.

Marie controlled her breathing. She knew he wasn't pushing for such an outcome, so she needed to hear him through.

"More importantly—" Helix added with a mysterious smile.

His elevated mood caused everyone to look at him with bated breath.

"—I made some demands just to [bring you the proposal]."

Marie was stunned for a moment, but Charlotte was thrilled.

"Demands~you say? Hmmm?" Charlotte hummed.

"Yes~ Demands." Helix chimed playfully with a charming smile, "Would you like to hear them, lovely ladies o'mine?"

After seeing his charming, playful attitude, the three's emotions did a complete 180.

Their eyes started sparkling for various reasons.

Marie was sold on demands before discussing them. She wanted to know how bad he rang the Queen dry for even proposing such a thing.

Charlotte was grinning with thrill to hear the mind games. It would be juicy.

Riley was sold on his smile that spoke of his loving intentions. That's all that mattered to her.

"I'd~love~to." Charlotte replied while rolling her tongue, "Hopefully, it's a long list."

The display made Helix shiver. In a good way. A very good way.

"Please." Marie replied nervously.

"I'll listen to anything." Riley replied with a gentle voice.

Helix gave them all a slight smile and touched his neck.

He pulled a royal envelope with the Queen's stamp on it.

Their eyes widened in surprise.

Whatever was in the envelope—was important.

Getting an official written letter from [Queen Liliana], the ruler of the most powerful Kingdom on the continent, was an honor.

He showed the letter to them with it dramatically.

"Would anyone like to open this sealed envelope and read what's inside it?" Helix asked.

The entire room warped, and the atmosphere darkened.

Sounds of insects and birds and rushing water filled the area.

Moonlight beamed down on their clothing.

They were now in a forest with Fairie Marie butterflies flapping around Marie.

Their pink wings and luminescent bodies lighted her face.

Marie instantly started crying with joy.

The other two wore brimming smiles.

Charlotte looked to the waterfall, but Helix shook his head to stop her.

The group hadn't been to the beautiful muted nighttime forest since the night they all lost their virginities.

Helix told Marie they would return one day, but it was a time for creation and exploration.

Eventually forgot about it until they found themselves back in it suddenly.

"Marie. Would you like to read the first part out loud?" Helix asked while flashing her a charming smile.

Marie's eyes trembled, and she hesitantly grabbed the envelope.

The luminescent bodies lit up the paper, and the sight made her heart flutter.

Marie's hand trembled as she attempted to break the wax sealing.

She didn't know what was inside, but she could tell it was life-changing.

And she had wishes for what it could be but no expectations.

She was so nervous that she couldn't open it without destroying the envelope!

It was embarrassing.

"[Desert~Heat]." Charlotte sang, helping her partner out.

The wax seal on the envelope melted extremely gently.

Marie was surprised, but she didn't question it.

She couldn't feel the heat.

Charlotte activated a Nightmare, so her defense stat immediately kicked in.

So while she could feel the heat [from the sun], she couldn't feel an attack with such a low output.

It was muted.

Marie opened the envelope.

"[Gentle Breeze]." Riley whispered.

The wax cooled on her fingers, so it didn't stain the envelope.

Helix watched with a gentle smile. He loved when his partners worked together; it touched his heart.

Marie stared at the small print with wide eyes.

The entire page was filled as though it was a legal document.

However, she didn't skim it because she knew it should be read from the top down by Helix's expression.

"To Dame Marie Skybolt, Dame Charlotte Kline, and Dame Riley Singer," Marie began with a shaking voice.

"I, Queen Liliana Zion, ask you to consider a Royal Proposal from the Alzerian Kingdom.

You have full decisional authority for accepting or rejecting my proposal."

Marie started crying with happiness when she read the opening.

Knowing that Helix had demanded that [they] make the decision was enough to make her heart sing.

Riley looked at Helix with a loving smile.

Charlotte had a shit-eating grin on her face. In a patriarchal society, giving authority to wives was a humiliating thing to do for a Queen.

The blonde thought it was a charming demand that was simplistic, sentimental, and ruthless.

"Wheeeeew! You needed to throw down a serious power play to pull this off." Charlotte whistled.

The women burst into giggles, and Helix smiled.

Queen Liliana begging Helix's [partners] to accept a proposal and telling them that it was a proposal, not a Royal Request was bold.

Helix nodded at Marie for her to continue.

"Before I make my request, I would like to—"

Marie burst into tears and started hyperventilating.

Charlotte and Riley immediately panicked, but when they saw Marie flashing dazzling smiles between deep breaths, they changed their minds.

They looked at Helix with an eager expressions. Everyone was ready to hear what the mystery note said.

Marie started reading again between breaths.

"I would like…. I would like to invite… you…." She continued between breaths.

Riley started feeling anxious, and Charlotte was half a second away from ripping the letter out of her hand.

"... you to share your…." Marie burst into tears and laughter again.

She looked at Helix with a loving expression, drawing the gazes of Charlotte and Riley in his direction.

"Your what, woman!?" Charlotte snapped.

"Your… wedding ceremony in the… Alzerian C-Capital…." Marie announced with a dazzling smile.

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