She spoke calmly, almost nonchalantly, but the weight of her words froze everyone in place.
No, scratch that—they were stunned that she'd spoken those words with such a straight face in front of Kiana, with whom she'd shared such a warm reunion only moments ago.
"And Himeko, you've seen my birth mother before."
"Huh? …Oh!"
Himeko suddenly remembered.
Now that she thought about it, Bronie's parents they'd seen back then had looked just as young as Kiana, despite the generational gap.
Heck, even Welt didn't look his age up close—maybe time passed more slowly on Earth, Himeko wondered.
Of course, that guess was entirely wrong.
"Then why do you call Kiana 'Mom'?"
"Well, it's literal. She's not the woman who gave birth to me, but she is my mother."
"What are you talking about?"
Not the woman who gave you birth, but still your mother?
Himeko, March 7th, and Stelle all exchanged puzzled looks—everyone except Dan Heng, whose eyes went wide, as if he'd just had a revelation.
March 7th, standing beside him, didn't miss that reaction.
"What is it, Dan Heng? Figured something out?"
"…No, honestly I'm more amazed you had something I didn't see coming."
"Well, I could be wrong! But even so, your guess might not be the truth."
"That's why I'm being careful with my words."
If he was mistaken, it would be a huge faux pas—so Dan Heng held his tongue.
"So what is it?"
"It's really simple. A straightforward conclusion."
"So spit it out!"
March 7th puffed up her cheeks at Dan Heng's evasion, drawing curious stares from the others.
The group leaned in, interest piqued by March 7th's cue.
Whether she did it on purpose or not—no, from her reaction, certainly it was on purpose—March 7th's expectant gaze made Dan Heng clutch his head as if in pain.
At this point, refusing to reveal his guess was no longer an option.
"I thought… polygamy."
"Polygamy?"
"In simple terms, one husband, multiple wives."
"Uh… seriously? That's the worst."
At those words, Kiana quickly turned aside, covering her mouth—but clearly you could hear a "Pff!"
Himeko looked like she'd been pricked, shifting her gaze awkwardly while scratching her cheek, and Welt suddenly swallowed his tea with a shaky hand as if his throat had gone dry.
Kiana and Bronie led the reactions they'd seen on the Astral Express—Kiana doubled over laughing while Bronie sipped her tea with a wry smile—so Dan Heng called out to stop March 7th from saying more.
"March 7th."
"No, think about it. It's not some outdated story—who in their right mind would have a woman take on multiple wives?"
Himeko's face went half-red, Welt cleared his throat several times, and Kiana clutched her sides, bent over with laughter. Bronie, meanwhile, drank from her cup with a resigned expression.
Seeing their antics, Dan Heng buried his face in his hands and sighed.
With Dan Heng clamped shut, March 7th pouted and turned her gaze to Bronie.
"What about you, Bronie?"
"…No, it's too accurate. I'm honestly surprised."
"…Really?"
"Yes, really."
March 7th looked unconvinced, so Bronie nodded firmly in confirmation.
Stelle, who'd been quietly observing Kiana and Bronie, raised her hand to address Kiana.
"Kiana, how did this happen?"
"Huh? How did what happen?"
"The reason you ended up in a polygamous marriage."
Polygamy was often romanticized as a man's fantasy, but in reality, it was rarely good.
From a woman's perspective, who would want to be someone's second wife?
It would spark immense resentment from every angle.
Not to mention practical issues: intimacy, finances, equality.
Even if the husband made every effort, there was still only one man.
Wouldn't frustration build if so many women were his wives?
And intimacy was crucial to a marriage—sure, youth had the stamina…
But aging changed things.
Unlike men, whose libido peaked in late teens then waned, women peaked in their early thirties.
Imagine a husband in his thirties forced into obligatory defenses with his wives—multiple wives.
He'd be squeezed dry to death, and that wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Because ideals and reality are worlds apart.
"It's a bit awkward to ask in front of everyone… was your husband quite the womanizer? Hard to cover up?"
March 7th crossed her arms and nodded with closed eyes, sharing her curiosity.
Welt, who already knew the answer, gave a faint, knowing smile, and Himeko and Dan Heng watched the two expectantly.
Kiana and Bronie exchanged looks under all those stares and then burst into laughter.
"Oh, my dad? A womanizer? I can see how you'd think that."
"I mean, on paper, I suppose it wouldn't be that strange."
"But that's wrong, Stelle."
"Wrong?"
"He was impenetrable. Truly—he never gave an inch."
Everyone's eyes went wide at Kiana's grumble, as if saying she'd had a tough time.
If her words were taken literally, it would sound like she'd tried to seduce a married man.
"Have you heard the saying, a keeper doesn't let goals in?"
"Uh… that was something people said about dating, right?"
March 7th answered, and Kiana nodded.
"In reality, it's different—maybe even an exaggeration."
"An exaggeration?"
"Honestly, it's over the top for dating. In a relationship, you're more like a defender—if you have the skill, you think you can knock the keeper aside and take that spot. A real 'keeper' is someone already married."
"…So that was Bronie's mother?"
"You know, if that had been the case, it might have been easier. But it was the opposite."
"The opposite? What do you mean?"
"Literally."
"She was the keeper we were all trying to woo."