Chapter 562: Love, Tricks, and Traditions ( 562 )

Harny waved them off with a gentle, radiant smile, one that could melt glaciers or start wars depending on the situation.

Marcellus, however, was frozen.

His eyes refused to leave Harny’s figure. That face. That voice. That smile. That hair. That elegance.

Two… two Lithias… two… two… two…

“Master Marcellus,” Lithia said sweetly.

“Mm?”

Pull.

“OW OW OW!!” he yelped as she tugged his ear like a mother scolding a misbehaving child.

“I saw you staring!!” Lithia puffed her cheeks, her glare sharp as daggers. “You kept staring at her chest!”

“W-Wha—!? No I didn’t!! I mean—I was just—I mean—she’s literally your copy–clone–twins–evil future version?!”

“EXCUSE me!?” Lithia growled.

“I MEANT THAT IN A COMPLIMENT WAY!!”

Harny giggled from behind. “Aww~ don’t scold him too much, dear. You’ll make him run away before the marriage~”

“I’ll drag him back if he tries,” Lithia muttered under her breath, tightening her grip on his sleeve like a vice.

“Lithia?”

“W-What now, Mother?” Lithia asked, already sensing trouble.

“You should at least visit our home first,” Harny said with that gentle, perfectly poised smile that sent a chill down her daughter’s spine.

“Umm… okay…”

Lithia then turned to Marcellus, sharply narrowing her eyes.

“Don’t follow us.”

“Huh!? Why not!?”

“No reason! Just stay!”

Before Marcellus could even respond properly, Harny had already taken his hand.

“Oh no, no~ don’t listen to her. Come and see the house she abandoned for years and never cared to visit,” Harny chimed, tugging him forward with surprising strength for a supposedly delicate elven woman.

“M-Mother!! Don’t just drag him along like that!!”

“What? I’m just being a good hostess. You should learn, Lithia~” Harny said cheerfully while leading Marcellus away.

Marcellus looked helplessly at Lithia while being pulled.

“I swear I’m not going willingly!”

“I CAN SEE THAT YOU’RE ENJOYING IT, YOU IDIOT!!”

“Why do you sound like Gloria right now!?”

“SHUT UP!!”

Lithia fumed, following behind while Harny wrapped her arm around Marcellus’s like they were newlyweds returning from a date.

“Now, Marcellus~ let me show you the room Lithia used to sulk in every time she failed her sword lessons~”

“Mother, please!!” Lithia turned bright red.

Marcellus was dazed.

Two Lithias… Two… TWO… One was already a miracle… Now there are two… and one is single… single… single…

“My~” Harny purred, leaning slightly closer. “Thinking about the offer I gave you earlier?”

Her soft fingers gently squeezed his left arm, while Lithia’s death grip locked onto his right.

“Y-You… You’re joking, right?” Marcellus asked nervously, eyes darting between the identical dark elves glued to both sides of him.

Harny smiled sweetly. “No~ I’m completely serious. Right, Lithia?”

Lithia twitched.

Her cheeks puffed out. Her ears twitched. Her grip on Marcellus’s arm got dangerously tight.

“M-Mother!! Stop saying such nonsense!!” she yelled, completely flustered.

“What nonsense?” Harny tilted her head innocently. “It’s our tradition. When the daughter marries, the mother—if still single—is offered as a backup comfort for the husband.”

“WHO MADE THAT RULE!?” Lithia snapped.

“Grandma did. And you know how strict she was with family traditions~” Harny winked.

Marcellus coughed. “L-Lithia, is this real? That tradition…?”

“OF COURSE IT’S NOT!!” Lithia shouted, her face now glowing red like a volcano ready to erupt.

“Ahh~ So she says,” Harny hummed playfully, snuggling just a bit closer to Marcellus’s arm. “But if you ever feel… overwhelmed by Lithia’s temper~ I’m very gentle, you know~”

“MOTHER!!!”

Harny giggled as Lithia lost her cool entirely.

When they arrived at the massive tree nestled deep within the woods, Harny let go of Marcellus’s arm and gracefully pushed open a rounded wooden door embedded in the trunk.

She stepped inside first, then turned around with a soft, welcoming smile. “Welcome to our small tree house.”

Marcellus looked around.

The interior was cozy. Not too big, probably enough for two or three people. It had smooth wooden walls, simple woven furniture, shelves filled with herbal jars, and an earthy scent that felt calming.

So this is where Lithia grew up…

“Sit here, darling~” Harny gestured to a cushioned bench with vines decorating its legs.

“M-Mom!! Stop calling him that!” Lithia groaned, visibly flustered and glaring at her mother.

But Harny was unfazed. She hummed a cheerful tune, walked over to a small kitchen corner, and began preparing something.

Marcellus awkwardly sat down, unsure where to place his hands or his eyes.

Moments later, Harny returned with a carved wooden tray carrying two glasses filled with a glowing amber drink. The aroma was sweet and floral—clearly some kind of forest fruit mixed with wild honey.

“A special dark elf drink,” she said with a wink, handing one to Marcellus. “Made only for men I like~”

“MOM!!” Lithia’s voice cracked like a whip.

“What? You never made it for him, right?” Harny sipped her own cup, completely calm.

Marcellus blinked. “U-uh… thank you. It smells… amazing.”

Harny sat beside him, close enough to make Lithia’s eye twitch. “Try it. It warms you up, calms the nerves, and some say it has… mood-lifting effects~”

Marcellus took a cautious sip.

“…Whoa. This is really good.”

Lithia narrowed her eyes.

Marcellus, meanwhile, had just finished the last sip and was smiling, clearly impressed. “That was amazing… I feel warm all over.”

Lithia took the empty glass from his hand, sniffed it carefully, and instantly froze.

“…Mom,” she said, her voice dangerously low.

Harny tilted her head innocently. “Hmm?”

“This is…” Lithia’s grip tightened around the glass. “This is the traditional marital blend…! The drink a wife prepares only for her husband!”

Marcellus coughed. “Wait—what?”

Harny giggled. “Oh dear~ You noticed? You always were too clever, Lithia.”

“YOU—!!” Lithia stood up, her cheeks burning. “Why would you—?!”

Marcellus’s brain crashed. He stood up abruptly. “W-Wait!! Am I… married now!?”

Lithia snapped toward him. “No, not unless I say so!!”

Harny hummed. “A pity. He’s a good catch. You’re slow, my dear daughter. A mother has to step in before someone else does~”

Harny leaned closer, her soft, mischievous smile glowing under the gentle tree-light.

“Looking at your clothes, darling… you’re a noble, aren’t you?”

Marcellus gulped. “…Umm…”

She didn’t wait for a clearer answer.

“And isn’t it customary for nobles to marry more than one wife?”

Lithia’s eyes widened. “Mom—!!”

Harny turned to her daughter with perfect calm. “I’m just stating facts, dear.”

She turned back to Marcellus, her voice honey-sweet. “So… look at me, darling.”

He did.

“Same face as Lithia… same silky skin…” she held out her hand, letting the soft light shimmer along her arm. “Do I look old to you?”

“…N-no,” Marcellus replied, already sweating.

“I’m single, I’m gentle, and I make a great husband-only drink~” she winked. “So really, what’s stopping you from making us a nice little trio?”

Lithia was on fire—both cheeks red and magic sparks starting to dance around her.

“STOP TRYING TO MARRY MY BOYFRIEND!!”

“But he’s technically not your husband yet, right?” Harny smiled, completely unfazed. “If you’re not sealing the deal, someone else might~”

Marcellus raised both hands in panic. “W-wait, can we not turn this into some dark elf two-for-one marriage package!?”

( End Of Chapter )

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