The silence lingers between them, gazes still locked. With his eyes growing sharper, Kemiro says:

"I’ll count to three. If you remain silent, I’ll assume you're taking time to craft a lie, and I won’t believe a word you say." Mandipha manifests her Ma'Jia, feeling the weight that bound her disappear.

Still seated, she furrows her brows. Frustrated, she asks, "Why are you acting like this? You’ve ignored me for almost a year, and now, when you finally decide to have a sincere conversation, are you going to treat me like this? What’s your problem?"

Mandipha has more to say but stops when she senses a brief flash of malice from Kemiro’s eyes. The silence doesn’t last long, as Kemiro continues, "My problem is the whole situation you've created. You have no idea the level of stress this engagement has caused me. For almost a year, I’ve been trying to find a reason for your decision, but I’ve found nothing! To me, Mandipha, you seem like a bullet heading straight for my head, no matter how I try to avoid."

Mandipha protests, "Why do you see me in such a negative light? All I’ve ever done is try to get closer to you! It may have been sudden, but as someone related to a Pillar House, you should have been prepared for this. Are you really that opposed to our engagement?"

Sighing, Kemiro responds while maintaining eye contact: "The engagement isn't the issue. It’s you, and certainly, the motivation of your Goddess behind it."

Mandipha, intrigued, asks, "Why are you so fixated on the idea that I'm conspiring with my Goddess against you?"

Kemiro lets out an irritated smile, replying, "Time and time again, you evade my question with tangents. But fine!" Kemiro raises his right index finger. "You’ve had plenty of chances, to be honest. I'll give you one more chance. Think carefully about your next words. If you haven't realized by now, you hold no cards at this table. Either you’re honest, or we end this farce right now, and I’ll cancel this engagement, no matter how annoying the consequences will be."

Sighing, Kemiro leans back into the couch, taking up his tea again. Mandipha’s heart races as she reflects, “Following him here was a mistake. But how could I have known it would end like this? Give me a break! Do I really have to reveal it? AAAAAHHHH! This is so embarrassing! Stupid Maranshipha! Look at the situation you’ve put me in! I swear my offerings will be just fruits and vegetables for a year.”

"I have reliable ways of obtaining information," Kemiro explains, "but all this time, I haven’t managed to get any relevant information. Do you know why?" Mandipha only shakes her head. Kemiro continues, "Because the divine presence of your Goddess Maranshipha is too strong around where you live. Even Azarthine was surprised by its intensity. It’s practically as if the Goddess herself has manifested. If not for the barrier around your home, the other families would be in an uproar."

Wearing a confident smile, Kemiro presses further: "So tell me, Mandipha, how is it not obvious that your Goddess is intervening when she loves her priestess so much that she ignores the risks and keeps her presence in the Mortal Plane?"

Mandipha reflects, “What’s wrong with Kemiro pressuring me like this? I thought I could win him over easily, but it seems I’ve miscalculated. Who would have thought he'd be so lethargic when it comes to women? I really have no luck! AAAAAHHHH! Whatever, I don’t care anymore!” Letting out a long, deep sigh, Mandipha removes her shoes and sprawls lazily on the couch, pulling a plate of sweets to rest on her chest, devouring them without restraint.

Her unexpected behavior distorts Kemiro’s expression. Unsure of how to respond, he chooses not to comment and simply waits. After eating five sweets with crumbs around her mouth, Mandipha lets out a soft sigh and remarks, "You know, my grandmother always said that, though it’s a blessing to be so close to our Goddess, it also becomes a problem because of the difference in our existences." Mandipha smiles as if recalling something but continues, "I never paid much attention to her words, but now I understand what she meant."

After a brief silence, she goes on, "My Goddess Maranshipha made me a proposal."

Mandipha looks at Kemiro, who remains expressionless, observing her in silence, focusing on every word.

His blank expression makes Mandipha smile, her cheeks flushing slightly as she says, "She proposed that if I married you and bore your child, she would make me an apostle."

Noticing Kemiro's silence, flapping his mouth while furrowing his brows, she hurriedly continues, "Don't get the wrong idea! I didn’t accept the proposal. Until a year ago, all I knew of you were rumors. My initial plan was to get to know you better. Otherwise, there wouldn't exist any reason for me, a priestess and descendant of a Pillar House, to make contact with you from a support House. Our engagement was just a convenient way to achieve that."

Adjusting herself on the couch, Mandipha places the plate of sweets back on the table, remaining in a reclining position with her arm supporting her head, like a muse posing for an artist.

She toys with the tip of her tail as she continues, "Your first assumption was partially wrong because, after you ignored me for so long, I was starting to believe there was no reason to continue. But your actions yesterday renewed all my hopes."

Striking a dramatic pose by placing the back of her left hand on her forehead, she exclaims, "But to think you were just manipulating me into a trap. Ah! So cruel. I wonder what my Goddess felt on you enough for her to make me this proposal."

Kemiro struggles to keep his emotions from showing on his face, reflecting, “Is she serious? Azarthine mentioned sensing divine energy from the Divine Egg... Well, the name says a lot. But I never thought that Gods were able to detect anything inside the Soul Hall of a Ma’Ji.

In the first place, what guarantees that the Goddess Maranshipha has such an ability? Otherwise, Azarthine would have told me. We would’ve found a way to seal that energy. If that’s the case, something must have happened for me to emit that energy.

It’s impossible to detect the energy from inside here—one of the reasons Azarthine created this space was for me to train without anyone discovering my secrets. So the only moment she could have noticed something was during the opening of my Foundation… It means the Goddess has had this information for 13 years.

But, from Mandipha’s words, it doesn’t seem like the goddess revealed it that long ago, as she admitted not knowing me beyond rumors until... a year ago!”

Mandipha notices Kemiro’s shocked expression for a few seconds, but she remains silent, letting him process the information.

Unbeknownst to Mandipha, Kemiro’s mind is in turmoil; he reflects, “Around a year ago was when I finally managed to reach the first phase to hatch the Divine Egg! Don’t tell me the Goddess noticed the change? Yes! It makes perfect sense. If, by any chance, she could perceive the divine energy when I chose the Path of the Divine Egg, certainly she would also notice any current difference. Damn! I’m an open book to the Goddess!

I’ve been so careful to maintain a low profile while gathering the Ma'Jia for the first phase. Gods are far more troublesome than I ever imagined!”

Kemiro’s thoughts are interrupted by Mandipha asking, "I know this might be a shock, but could you stop getting lost in your thoughts? You're making me uncomfortable."

Looking at Mandipha’s casual, using her long tail to caress her body like a large comb, Kemiro’s brow twitches. He retorts, "Your behavior is quite bold for someone who was paralyzed the moment you entered my home."

With a mischievous smile, Mandipha counters, "It seems you misunderstand my reaction. Yes, I was extremely surprised by this space and the loss of connection to my Goddess. But we’re similar in how we get lost in our thoughts. Even before you revealed your situation, the idea that you’d harm me never crossed my mind.

Or do you think I got this close to you today just because you beat me in our little wager?"

Maintaining her pose but now playing with her ear and hair, she continues, "I’m still impressed by how you managed to throw Uncle Alber with just one punch.

He didn’t want to comment on it, but know that Uncle Alber is among the top ten strongest warriors in my family. Even if you caught him off guard, it’s still a significant achievement. You should be proud of yourself."

Dropping her relaxed expression, Mandipha sits up straight. With a serious expression, she exclaims, "But my greatest respect was for you, healing Alber.

You have no idea how our family, especially Uncle Alber, was lost about how to solve Almer's condition. For years, we’ve sent emissaries searching for a treatment, and until yesterday, all our efforts were in vain."

Kemiro is taken aback as Mandipha bows, saying, "Last night, there was no falsehood in my words. Regardless of what happens with our engagement or in the future, Hauveron House and I will be eternally grateful."

Kemiro is not used to such displays of gratitude. Feeling uncomfortable with Mandipha's sudden shift in attitude, he tries to lighten the solemn mood, saying, "You don’t need to keep going with this. I won't say what I did was easy, but his condition was nothing more than a tangle in his Ma’Jia flow. In comparison, it’s no different from perfectly refining the body."

Mandipha lifts her head, smiling as she watches Kemiro sip his now-cold tea, attempting to hide his discomfort. She reflects, “He makes it seem so simple to have fixed a problem that has plagued both our families. But Almer is the one who suffered the most.”

Mandipha says, “Alber may not show it due to his shy nature, but he’s deeply grateful. I hate to admit it, but he’s been through so much. Even worse for a Maran man.”

Kemiro, intrigued by her words, asks, "Why is it worse to be a Maran man?"

“Unlike human culture, in our House, in reverence to our Goddess Maranshipha, a family’s prosperity isn’t measured by material wealth alone, but by how large the family is. This means the more wives and children a family has, the more prosperous they are considered. Oh! But it's not just about numbers; it's about how healthy the family situation is.”

Surprised, Kemiro comments, "I knew polygamy was practiced in the Hauveron House, but I thought it was cultural freedom. I did not expect it to be part of the worship of the Goddess Maranshipha."

Smiling at Kemiro's surprised expression, Mandipha explains, “I don’t blame you. While polygamy is part of our culture, the responsibilities attached to it is not something many couples choose to take on.

For us, followers of the Goddess Maranshipha, it’s not praiseworthy for a Maran man to live a solitary life and fail to continue his lineage—worse still, a large family that cannot sustain its members.

This principle is even stricter for descendants of the main House. Oh! You may not know, but Almer is my half brother. My family is one of the most prosperous, with my father having seven wives and twelve children."

Mandipha’s expression turns sad as she recalls something, adding, “That’s why you can imagine Almer’s suffering, being unable to transform into his beast form, which is our greatest source of pride. It prevented him from being a desirable partner for any Maran woman."

Her words make Kemiro reflect, “I thought yesterday's reaction was just happiness for a ‘sick relative’ being cured. But I didn’t realize there was such a complex reason behind it. I healed his condition to a 'safe card' after punching Alber, but I ended up gaining far more benefits. Noice!”

Seeing no reaction from Kemiro, Mandipha’s expression turns incredulous as she comments, “Your problem is serious. I can't believe that after hearing you could form a harem, you didn’t react. My expectations are shaken. Honestly, I’m disappointed.”

Taken aback by her bluntness, Kemiro retorts, “Don’t write me off as a disappointment! Until you brought up this whole engagement idea, I had no intention of starting a family. I already have enough problems on my plate!”

“You’ll need to reevaluate your priorities. My mother is the only one with three children in my family. All the other wives gave birth to two or one. Even before my little sister was born, my mother was at the top of the family hierarchy!

As her daughter, I won’t lose, so my intention is to have at least four children." Crossing her arms and legs, she declares, "As my Haran, I expect you, like my father, to have at least seven wives. It’d be even better if you went beyond to surpass him and gain more influence for our House!"

“You’re really saying these absurd things so lightly.” Kemiro thinks. He asks, "First of all, what’s a Haran?"

"Haran is what we call a man with more than one wife," she explains, gesturing with her hands. "One thing you need to understand, Kemiro, is that by marrying me, there are certain expectations of you as my Haran. Forming a family with just two people is out of the question! Even if I were to have ten children, I’d still lose influence within the family. Wealth and descendants are two pillars of our culture. This ‘lethargy’ of yours is something, as you said, we’ll need to address.” Placing her index finger on her lower lip and flashing a teasing smile, she continues in a slow, suggestive tone, “Your condition is pleasant for me to fix.”