Outside, I newly manifested a carport next to the house and drove the car inside. Once that was sorted, I headed back indoors. The Divine Pillars were still busy devouring their burgers and fried chicken. Enis had slipped away, presumably to draw the bathwater, while Suōshā and Zi Mi were working together to clean up the discarded wrapping paper on the floor.
"I'm back. How is everyone doing?"
"Big Sister went to the bathroom first. We'll keep an eye on them here," Suōshā replied when she saw me walk in.
"Thanks for your hard work. I'll go check on the bathroom too." With that, I walked toward the bathroom. Ever since the house gained eight new occupants, I had expanded the place once again so that the Divine Pillars would have a comfortable space to sleep.
"Wife, do you need any help?" I pushed the door open and asked.
"You're back, Hubby~ The bath is almost full and we can jump in very soon. Go tell Little Sister and the others to get ready," Enis turned around and said with a smile.
"Alright." Seeing that she didn't need a hand, I headed back out.
"Enis says the water is almost ready. Everyone can go take a bath as soon as you're finished eating," I called out to the group after coming out.
"After the bath, I really want to hear Hubby play that beautiful music again~" Suōshā walked over, looking full of anticipation.
"No problem at all. I'll move the piano outside." With a light wave of my hand, the piano from upstairs instantly materialized out in the courtyard. I even manifested a row of audience chairs to make it convenient for them to sit and enjoy.
"So delicious~ You absolute jerk of a Master." "So full~ You sneaky Master."
The Divine Pillars had finally finished their meal. They had been using polite honorifics with every breath this morning, but now they were taking turns throwing insults at me. I was truly at a loss for words. I had Suōshā and Zi Mi lead them to the bathroom while I stayed outside to finish setting up the performance venue, after which I went back inside to take a bath myself. Now that there were eight young girls living in the house, it was no longer appropriate for us to engage in spontaneous, passionate escapades wherever we pleased; those intimate husband-and-wife matters would have to be strictly kept to the bedroom.
Redefining the Pillars
After quite some time, everyone emerged fresh and clean from the bath. My three wives took care of dressing the Divine Pillars and brushing their hair, while I came out first in a set of comfortable loungewear, heading to the living room to brew some tea.
"Wait a minute, don't run so fast!" Enis called out to one of the Divine Pillars.
"Meanie Master! Master is a big meanie!" She dashed past me, throwing another round of teasing insults my way. Sigh, it looked like my authority as their Master was completely crumbling.
"Everyone, the tea is freshly brewed. Come have a taste!" I called out to the group as they trickled into the room.
"Once we're done drinking, Hubby's concert can begin~" Zi Mi said with a smile as she sipped her tea.
"Sure, sure. We have plenty of time, no need to rush," I replied, pouring more water to brew the tea.
"Before that, all Divine Pillars, fall into line immediately!" I issued a rare, commanding order.
"Understood, annoying Master~" "Understood, awful Master~"
Sigh, I felt like they were going to hold a lifelong grudge against me.
"Right now, I am going to grant each of you a distinct name. You will no longer be referred to as Divine Pillars; you shall have names that belong strictly to you." The Divine Pillars leaned in, listening with excitement.
"First is you—your name shall be Luomei. You shall be Ximei. You shall be Wumei. You shall be Yamei. You shall be Yemei. You shall be Sumei. You shall be Lumei. And you shall be Dimei. These will be your new names." I nodded with satisfaction, having carefully arranged their names.
"New names~ new names~ catchy new names~ Thank you, awful Master~" The eight of them cheered excitedly.
"Can you at least drop the 'awful' part?" I let out a helpless sigh.
"Haha, Hubby is definitely going to be taking a lot of grief in the future~" Suōshā teased with a laugh.
"Since the tea has been drunk and the names have been given, next up is Hubby's performance time~" Enis didn't miss her cue to chime in.
"Alright, it looks like there's no escaping my fate tonight. Let's head outside together then." I invited everyone out into the courtyard. Adorned by the soft glow of fireflies, the night courtyard was alive with twinkling stars, chirping birds, and humming insects—looking exactly like a grand, elegant setting prepared for a solo recital.
A Symphony in the Stars
For the second time today, I sat down on the piano bench and lifted the fallboard of the grand piano. The entire group fell completely silent, waiting with bated breath.
"Tonight, let's perform a brand-new piece." With those words, I began an improvised melody.
Elegant, steady notes drifted gracefully into the air. This was the first time the Divine Pillars had ever heard me play. Just like my three wives, they listened in absolute fascination, entirely forgetting their playful, mischievous giggles.
I performed several pieces in succession, taking a brief pause before diving right back into another new composition. In this tranquil night, the exquisite sounds of the piano echoed solo against the night sky, blending seamlessly as one with the heaven, the earth, and the stars.