"Yeah. Since Momo and Nana are here, I'm planning to give them two full days of fun. How about it?" Shichen finished, eyes settling on Momo.
"Really? Thank you, brother-in-law!" Momo lit up, looking like she might hug him any second.
"Th-thank you," Nana added, trying to sound composed.
"Why don't you call me 'brother-in-law' like Momo does?"
"Hmph, you two-timing turnip—I refuse to acknowledge you as my brother-in-law." Nana huffed.
"But your sister and I really are engaged."
"Only engaged. Talk to me again when you're actually married."
"Nana's totally jealous," Momo chimed in.
"Me? Jealous?" Nana blinked, pointing at herself.
"Brother-in-law's so amazing; it's normal girls like him. Isn't it because he doesn't like you that you're acting like this?"
"…How did you even reach that conclusion?" Nana's brow twitched.
"Isn't that it?" Momo stared, all innocence.
"Of course not! And anyway, we just met—why would I want him to like me?" Nana shot back, flustered.
"Why wouldn't you want him to? He's so nice to us."
"That's not the point. Wanting him to like me is what's not normal."
"But he's the person our sister loves. Don't you want the person she loves to love you, too? We're going to be one family."
"What are you even saying?" Nana's brain short-circuited.
"You're still too slow on the uptake," Momo sighed.
"You're the slow one!"
"Hehe~ Sis, don't you want brother-in-law to like us?"
"Of course I do," Lala said with a sunny nod.
"See, Nana?"
"…It still feels wrong somehow."
"I get it," Shichen said mildly. "Nana, don't worry—I like you both. You can relax and be clingy with me."
"Who wants you to like me!" Nana flushed hard. One simple "I like you" was more than the inexperienced princess could handle.
"Aww, Nana's blushing. Is it because hearing he likes you made you happy?" Momo teased.
"Happy my—!" Nana snapped, bright red.
"Ahhh, so tsundere, huh?"
"You—" Nana clamped her mouth shut. No matter what she said, Momo would twist it.
"All right, all right. Momo, don't bully Nana; she's embarrassed. Let's eat first," Shichen said, coming to Nana's rescue.
"Okay, brother-in-law." Momo nodded sweetly.
That expression made Nana study her. The Momo she knew wasn't this docile—when she looked meek in front of outsiders, she was usually plotting something. As her twin, Nana could spot it instantly. But this seemed genuine. Definitely weird.
Why? It couldn't actually be because of him…
"Oh ho~ Nana, why are you sneaking looks at brother-in-law?" Momo piped up again.
"…," Nana shot her a red-faced glare, then dropped her head and ate in silence.
And she had to admit—the guy's cooking was really good. Better than anything in the royal palace.
After breakfast, Shichen and Momo cleared the dishes, then he started making plans to head out.
There wasn't much to do in the city, and he had the means, so he decided: they'd spend two days on an uninhabited island. With his Gates of Babylon, they'd be far from "survival mode"—more like a spring picnic… no, summer getaway.
Without polling the group, he whisked everyone to a crescent-shaped deserted island. Warm, soft sand; the sea glittered a painterly sapphire; look around and it felt like walking into a postcard.
"Waaah—it's gorgeous!"
"Where is this?"
"The beach!" Kotegawa Yui was the most excited of all at the sight of the ocean.
Momo and Nana wore the same amazed, delighted looks.
"Why the beach…" Frieren muttered, tiny face already tired.
"This spot should be…" Yami started.
"No need to overthink it. We're here to relax," Shichen said, slinging an arm over Frieren's and Yami's shoulders.
"Sunbathing… swimming… I'm exhausted just imagining it…" Frieren drooped.
"You're not up to anything, are you? Did this morning still leave you unsatisfied?" Yami eyed him skeptically.
"Please. I just wanted to swim, catch shrimp and crabs, grill some food… doesn't that sound fun?"
"Fun!" Lala threw up her hand immediately.
"See? Lala gets me."
"Hehe~"
"Oh, I get it—you just want to see us in swimsuits, right?" Yami nodded knowingly.
"…I've seen all of you without swimsuits more times than I can count. Why would I need to plot for swimwear?"
"That's…" Yami thought it over. Fair point: compared to the original, stock is… less compelling.
"Don't be fooled," Frieren said calmly. "Swimwear buffed by imagination is more tempting than the original—and you haven't seen their swimwear." She tilted her chin at Momo and Nana.
"…Right. You," Yami glared at him.
"Frieren… looks like I'll have to drag you into the sea later," Shichen warned, squeezing her shoulder.
"Don't—" she wilted instantly.
"Too late."
"Mmph~"
"For the next two days, we're staying here. Sound good?" he asked the sisters.
"Brother-in-law! It's perfect—I love it!" Momo beamed.
"I guess… it's fine," Nana added, peak tsundere.
"But what about food, water, shelter, getting around? And the sun is brutal…" Yui worried.
"Don't worry—those are the easy parts. And you won't get sun damage: I've wrapped the whole island in a barrier—screens out UV and even keeps satellites from spotting us," Shichen said.
Look closely and you could indeed see a faint blue dome overhead, a bowl-like shield cupping the isle.
"In that case… I'm fine," Kotegawa said, no doubt at all.
"As expected of brother-in-law! Amazing!" Momo's eyes practically sparkled.
"What's a barrier?" Nana asked.
"Like the shield in the game."
"Oh, that… So it's your ability? How do you do it?"
"Oh~ Nana's very curious. Looks like she is interested in brother-in-law," Momo teased.
"You—I… am not!" Nana denied fast.
"Tsundere again~"
"Not talking to you!" Nana huffed and stomped off to Lala.
"Brother-in-law, how'd I do?" Momo scooted close, looking up for praise.
"How'd you do what?"
He chuckled, palming her soft pink hair for two fond rubs. "It's not exactly secret sauce."
"I see." Momo squinted and basked in the head-pats, smile bright.
"Momo…?" Kotegawa eyed her strangely.
"Mm? What is it, Yui-nee?"
"N-nothing." Yui swallowed whatever she'd been thinking. Momo and Lala were sisters; a person couldn't—shouldn't—harbor thoughts about her own brother-in-law.
"Yui-nee is so weird."
"Heh… hehe," Kotegawa laughed awkwardly.
"Oh—right, brother-in-law: if we're at the beach, what about swimsuits for Nana and me? We don't have any," Momo remembered.
"Ah! Swimsuits!" Yui jumped.
If they were swimming, they'd need them; they couldn't exactly go naked. Not with him here, anyway—even if things had gotten close, she could not stand the thought of stripping down in front of everyone.
"What, swimsuits? Why need those? Can't we just go naked? There's no one else here," Lala said, popping over.
"I'm not you…" Kotegawa shook her head.
"Ehh~ but it's so comfortable."
"Lala, you're wearing a swimsuit too," Shichen warned.
"Eeeeh?!"