Serfina lounged lazily against the edge of the pool, droplets of water sliding down the alluring curves of her figure.
Beside her, Robin stretched her body gracefully inside the water, practicing the breath control unique to singers.
Saber stood in the center of the pool, meticulously carrying out underwater sword-swinging drills—each slash stirred up a powerful current, clearly treating swimming as part of her physical training.
Acheron sat in the farthest corner of the pool, only her calves immersed in the water, seeming to have no interest in swimming at all, her indifferent violet eyes fixed on her own blurred reflection on the water's surface.
"Huft..." Saber let out a relieved breath, then showed a smile. "I must admit, the environment here is far more comfortable than my own world..."
Finished with her set of exercises, she swam to Serina and Robin at the poolside, wiping her face—her golden hair clung wetly to her cheeks, adding a softness rarely seen on her normally stern and dignified features.
Hearing Saber's remark, Serfina curved her red lips into a captivating smile.
"Well, that's only natural. Lucian really knows how to enjoy life, after all," Serfina said casually with a smile, then looked toward her daughter. "Right, little bird?"
"Mm, that's right."
Robin replied as she surfaced, then gently leaned against her mother, a happy blush spreading across her face.
As the three of them chatted, they unconsciously began to move toward Acheron.
Saber glanced at Serfina, then at Robin, her expression growing complicated.
As the King of Knights, her straightforward nature made it impossible for her to hold her tongue, so, unable to resist voicing the question that had been circling in her mind for a long time any longer, she hesitated only for a moment before finally asking it aloud.
"Lady Serfina, Miss Robin, please forgive my rudeness. You... You two are mother and daughter, yet both have romantic relationships with the same person... um... this... doesn't it feel awkward for you?"
Saber asked very directly, with pure curiosity in her emerald eyes, without the slightest hint of malice.
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, and time itself appeared to stop.
Robin's cheeks instantly turned even redder, like a fully ripened apple, and she then lowered her head in a bit of panic while her fingers unconsciously stirred the pool water.
Serfina, on the other hand, let out a soft giggle that carried the charm of a mature woman before reaching out and pulling her daughter into her arms, the gesture natural and intimate.
"Artoria really is straightforward, isn't she?" Serfina said while glancing at her daughter, her gaze open and gentle, before shifting to Saber. "At the beginning, yes, it was a little awkward—I admit. After all, a relationship like this does look strange to most people, doesn't it?"
"Mm…" Robin chimed in, leaning against her mother and nodding lightly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "At first… it was kind of weird and uncomfortable..."
"But…" Serfina shifted her tone, sounding relaxed. "Habit is a scary thing, y'know... After some time, it actually starts to feel pretty nice and natural—the whole family together, lively and warm."
In the next moment, she reached out and pinched her daughter's cheek.
"Now, our little bird has loosened up, too, right?"
"Mm..."
Robin was shy, but she still gave a small response, agreeing with her mother's words.
"And honestly, I kind of hope we can have a few more sisters in the family..."
As if she had just thought of something, Serfina suddenly lowered her voice slightly as she spoke, a teasing note creeping into her tone.
"Hm? Why?"
Saber asked with her brows raised, not quite catching her meaning.
"Because Lucian, he's just... too impressive..." Serfina replied, shooting her a look that clearly said 'you know,' her smile growing even more seductive, though her voice carried a hint of genuine complaint. "Truth be told, with just me and Robin, sometimes it's really a bit... too much to handle..."
As she spoke, she deliberately emphasized the words 'too much to handle.'
Saber blinked in confusion at first, failing to grasp what Serfina was implying, but soon enough, images immediately surfaced in her mind: Lucian scolding the mother-and-daughter pair with a cold expression while cracking a whip.
"My Master... does he abuse you? Does he force you to do things you don't want to do?" Saber asked seriously, her brows knitting together. "No, that won't do! As a knight, I cannot allow such behavior. I must go and persuade him!"
Her hand even clenched into a fist instinctively, as if she were ready at any moment to fight to protect this 'fragile' mother-and-daughter duo.
Serfina and Robin froze at the same time.
Abuse?
Who was talking about abuse?
In the next instant, Serfina burst into laughter, laughing so hard that her body shook, nearly slipping into the water.
Robin, also unable to help herself, covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter, her face turning even redder.
"Hahaha... Artoria, you... You're just too adorable sometimes..." Serfina said as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, finally managing to stop laughing. "What I meant by 'too much to handle' isn't that. It's not abuse."
"Not abuse...?" Saber questioned with a frown, still looking puzzled. "What is it, then?"
Suppressing her laughter, Serfina leaned close to Saber's ear and whispered two words in a breath that only the two of them could hear.
"It's sex..."
Hearing this, Saber subconsciously repeated the words in her mind, and then, as if she had been struck by lightning, her entire body suddenly stiffened.
At this moment, her beautiful face—always so righteous and dignified—flushed visibly at an alarming speed, red spreading from her ears all the way down her neck, while her emerald eyes went wide, filled with sheer disbelief and overwhelming embarrassment. Even the golden ahoge atop her head seemed to droop a little, her lips tightly shut, unable to utter a single word.
In the next moment, Saber abruptly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.
Now, she was so embarrassed that she couldn't help but feel that the pool water seemed to grow ten degrees hotter in an instant, leaving her completely ill at ease.
Seeing Saber's mortified reaction, Serfina laughed again, but this time even harder.
Robin, on the other hand, was so shy that she buried her face in the water, leaving only a pair of watery eyes peeking out.
Lucian, sitting on a pool lounger by the poolside, naturally heard their conversation perfectly clearly.
When he heard Serfina praising how 'impressive' he was to Saber, his back straightened unconsciously.
What she said was simply the truth.
With his physical strength as an Emanator of both the Abundance and the Elation, ordinary women really had no way of dealing with his prowess in bed now. Every time they did the deed, the one who passed out first was always his wives.
'No doubt, having a mature wife like Serfina really is great—she even knows to expand the lineup when needed...' Lucian thought with a helpless smile. 'Saving the mama bird wasn't for nothing, huh...'
Tied up in knots?
It was nonexistent.
Serfina might have felt awkward and uncomfortable at first, but now, looking at her, she practically wanted to recruit more reinforcements, as shown by how she had already started subtly drawing Saber in.
Lucian's gaze unconsciously fell on the silent and lone Acheron, gazing at the swimsuit that looked very good on her and carried a unique kind of charm.
In that moment, Acheron slowly lifted her eyes from her own reflection in the water—her gaze swept over the laughing Serfina, the shy Robin, and the statue-like Saber, before a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Miss Acheron, I've heard about what you went through..."
Serfina noticed Acheron's gaze and slightly reined in her smile, speaking with tentative concern in a gentle tone.
"Wandering alone through the cosmos must have been very hard, right?"
"Actually, have you ever considered... joining us?"
"I mean... becoming a real family with us. At the very least, you could feel some warmth."
Hearing Serfina's genuinely caring words, Acheron calmly met Serfina's gaze—her eyes hollow like a bottomless, frozen abyss.
"Ms. Serfina, there is no need to test me."
Acheron responded in a completely flat voice, as if she were stating something entirely unrelated to herself.
In that instant, the poolside fell completely silent—even Saber lifted her head from her embarrassment and looked at Acheron.
"I lack emotions. I lack memories."
"Even the meaning of my existence is being eroded little by little by the Nihility."
"As for matters between men and women, I feel nothing, and I have no interest in them whatsoever."
Acheron paused slightly, her gaze passing over Serfina and Robin before continuing in a decisive tone.
"I remain here only because I have a deal with Lucian—that's all. Between him and me, there will absolutely be no relationship of the kind you are imagining."
===
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