Ti passed, and Katie found herself in the bizarre position of trying to make sense of her relationship with Lucan. She had prepared herself to love him despite the obvious obstacles: he was twenty years older, married, and had a daughter. That alone was a wild ride. But what she hadn't prepared for—what truly knocked her socks off—was discovering that Lucan had nine other lovers. Oh, and two of them were his actual, biological sisters.
"Okay," Katie thought at first, "that's gross, but maybe I can wrap my head around it. It's... sort of... logical? In a very twisted, soap-opera kind of way?" But then Lucan dropped the real bombshell: he wasn't from this world. No, no, Lucan was so kind of über-powerful immortal warrior from another dinsion. He was basically a god in his howorld, complete with crazy powers and the whole "I'll never die" package.
Katie, understandably, thought he was pulling her leg. "Yeah, sure," she told him. "And I'm secretly a rmaid. Prove it."
Lucan, being Lucan, did prove it. Maris casually joined in too, showing off powers that left Katie's jaw sowhere on the floor. Katie would have sworn she was dreaming if not for the fact that Maris made her levitate for a full ten minutes just to drive the point ho.
After a lot of pacing, muttering, and questioning her life choices, Katie finally accepted the truth. She'd gotten herself entangled with an immortal, world-hopping playboy with a wife, seven lovers, and, two sisters who probably needed therapy. "This is my life now," Katie sighed. "Guess we're doing this."
But even with all that baggage, Katie wasn't ready to pack her bags and leave. Not yet, anyway. Because while Katie wasn't thrilled about sharing Lucan with a small army of won, one word had her rethinking everything: immortality.
Immortality was a ga changer. Katie had initially balked at the idea of being just another na on Lucan's very full romantic roster. After all, she only had one life, and she didn't want to waste her precious years waiting for scraps of attention from a man juggling ten relationships. But when she realized she had unlimited ti to play with, things started to look a lot better.
"Wait a second," Katie thought, her brain piecing it together like a detective on a case. "If I'm immortal, and ti works differently between this world and that other one, this is genius. Lucan could spend a year or two with here, and it would feel like forever. Then he could go and do his thing with Wife Number Five or Sister Number Whatever over there, and for , it would only be a day or sothing. It's like a boyfriend tishare, but with bonus magic!"
And so, after much deliberation, Katie agreed to be Lucan's seventh wife. Why seventh? Because two of Lucan's lovers were just for sexual pleasures, so and those also didn't want to marry him, and he two sisters were sisters.
Katie figured being seventh on the list wasn't so bad when you had all of eternity to work your way up the ranks.
"Besides," Katie reasoned, "I'll probably be his favorite eventually. I an, I'm adorable. Immortal adorable."
Her logic, while unorthodox, was solid in her own head. And as Lucan sealed the deal with a kiss, Katie ntally high-fived herself.
----
Maris sat on the balcony, the cool evening breeze tugging gently at her long pink hair. She wore a flowing white dress, elegant yet modest, the fabric light and shimring in the fading sunlight. Beside her sat Katie, the newest addition to the growing family. Katie was wearing a fitted blue top with short sleeves that hugged her youthful figure, paired with simple white shorts that accentuated her long, toned legs. Her silky dark brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, her face fresh and curious as she listened to Maris speak.
"You know," Maris began, her light blue eyes soft, "I've been thinking about everyone in Lucan-sama's life. It's not sothing I usually say out loud, but since you're part of it now, I thought it might help you understand things better." She glanced at Katie, her expression a mixture of motherly affection and sisterly camaraderie. "And, well, to help you feel less... overwheld."
Katie gave a small laugh, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "That obvious, huh?"
Maris chuckled softly, reaching out to gently pat Katie's hand. "It's natural. But let start with myself." She leaned back in her chair, looking up at the sky. "I love Lucan-sama. More than anything. I'd do anything for him—anything to make him happy. That's why I've always been okay with him having other won in his life. The only condition I ever had was that I wanted to be first. The first in his heart, the first he thinks of. But even if soday he didn't see that way, even if he left , I'd still love him. After all..." Her voice grew quieter, more reflective. "Everything I have, everything I am, is because of him. He saved from my father. If not for Lucan-sama, I would've been sold off to so cruel nobleman. He gave freedom, love, and a life I never dread possible."
Katie nodded slowly, her dark eyes thoughtful. "I can see why you love him so much. He's... special."
Maris smiled at her, then continued. "But then there's Sarina—my sister. She's the second. And... I admit, I feel a little guilty about that. If I hadn't brought her into this, if I hadn't introduced her to Lucan, I'm sure he wouldn't have ended up with anyone else but ." She sighed softly, her expression tinged with regret. "But what's done is done. Sarina loves him, and he loves her. I can't be upset about that. She's happy, and that's what matters."
Maris tilted her head, her pink hair shimring in the fading light. "The others... well, I don't know them as well. Julia, Rina, Hima, and Olive—they were adventurers, strong and capable won. But Rina... I've known her since I was a child. She cared for like a big sister, always looking out for . If I couldn't marry Lucan, I always hoped Rina would. And now that she's part of his life, I'm happy. She deserves it."
Her expression darkened slightly as she continued. "Then there's Nyx and Virnda. Nyx... I'll be honest, Katie, I don't like her. She's done terrible things. She's killed so many people. But... I've already had my revenge, and Lucan also choose and did things as revenge as I told him... Virnda, on the other hand, I don't know much about. She's quiet, keeps to herself. I have no strong feelings about her."
Katie raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "And his sisters? Sally and Eloise?"
Maris's smile returned. "I don't mind them. They're kind, and I care about them too. Sally is spirited and sweet, and Eloise... well, she's gentle and quite. But I like them both."
Finally, Maris looked at Katie, "And now, there's you. The youngest of us all. You're beautiful, Katie, and you're sensible. I can see why Lucan-sama is fond of you. To ... you feel more like a daughter than a co-wife." She laughed softly, her cheeks pinking slightly. "Though that sounds odd, doesn't it?"
Katie smiled, her own cheeks turning red. "A little. But... I think I'm okay with that."
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Maris leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, "But, Katie, there's one thing I've always struggled with. Sothing I feel a little guilty about. I love Lucan-sama with all my heart—most of my heart, really. But I can't decide who's more important to ... Lucan-sama or Leira." She looked down, her hands clasped together. "Leira is our daughter. I can't imagine my life without her. But Lucan-sama... he's my everything. I just can't decide, and I hope I never have to."
Katie tilted her head, her eyes kind. "I don't think you have to decide, Ms. Maris. They're both important in different ways, right?"
Maris looked at her, her smile returning, and nodded.
"By the way... why do you call Mr. Lucan 'Lucan-sama'?" Katie asked curiously.
"That's because..." Maris began with a soft smile. "When we first t, he thought of as his daughter. But I didn't want to call him 'father.' Because I didn't want to be seen only as a daughter, but because I wanted to be more than that. He was also the one who saved and taught so many things. So, I decided to call him 'Lucan-sama.' Sama is a term we use for people we admire or who are higher in status than us."
"Oh..." Katie nodded, deep in thought. "So... what should I call him?"
"Call him whatever you and he are comfortable with," Maris replied with a shrug.
Katie grinned mischievously. "Then... 'Dear,' 'Babe,' 'Darling,' or 'Lover'... there are so many options!" She paused. "Do you also use these words?"
"Of course I do," Maris replied with a laugh.
The two continued chatting, their conversation shifting to the topic of Lucan's other world, where Maris was a saint—a woman with the highest status and power. Katie's curiosity was piqued. She expressed her desire to visit that world soday, but decided she would wait until Lucan and Maris went there.
Maris explained that Lucan had decided they would leave once Leira, their daughter, turned 19 years old. Currently, Leira was just 10. That ant a wait of nine years. Katie did a quick calculation in her head. She was 19 now, so nine years later, she'd be 28.
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