Volume 1. Chapter 31

A strange, almost tangible silence filled the room as everyone tried to process what had just happened. The first to break the silence was Rudolf, who looked at Ken with a serious expression - though there was a noticeable glint of amusement in his eyes.“Ken,” he began, pausing dramatically, “I don’t know how things work in your world, but in ours, polygamy is allowed. So, if you wish, you can marry both of them. I’m sure they’d be happy with you. Take good care of them. You have my blessing.”Rudolf’s words were so sudden and delivered in such a solemn tone that, for a moment, Ken thought he was serious. But quickly catching the mischievous sparkle in Rudolf’s eyes, Ken realized it was a joke. What a troll, Rudolf, Ken thought with a quiet chuckle to himself.However, his amusement quickly turned into surprise as he glanced around the room and realized everyone else had taken Rudolf’s words completely seriously.Kiki and Julie stood beside him, beaming with joy as if this was the most important moment of their lives. Their eyes sparkled with excitement and hope, and their faces radiated pure satisfaction. Anna looked a bit bewildered, but didn’t have the heart to spoil her daughters’ mood. The most complicated expression, however, belonged to Lily.Her eyes had widened in shock, and her face was filled with pure horror, as if the ground had just been pulled out from beneath her. Her lips trembled slightly, and her face had gone pale. It was clear she was struggling to process what those words meant for her.Seeing how seriously everyone had taken Rudolf’s joke, Ken realized it was time to end this comedy before it turned into a tragedy.Ken took a deep breath and, with a slight smile, began to speak, trying to make his words sound as convincing as possible.“Sorry, but I’m not ready for that just yet,” he said, carefully avoiding the gleaming, hopeful eyes of Kiki and Julie. “You know, I’ve got to save the world first… then I can start thinking about marriage.”Lily and Anna both exhaled at the same time, visible relief spreading across their faces. Kiki and Julie, however, looked anything but pleased. They just tightened their grip on his hands, clearly unwilling to let go.Ken smiled at the sisters and continued, “Kiki, Julie, let go of me - I’ve got a world to save. How about we revisit the marriage discussion someday later?” he said, adding a playful tone to his voice.Kiki frowned, but her mischievous look said she wasn’t giving up the fight just yet. Julie, on the other hand, looked at him with a touch of sadness.Noticing their reactions, Ken added, “Tell you what - how about a trade? You let me go, and I’ll give each of you a bar of chocolate from my pocket. Deal?”Though reluctant, the girls finally let go under the promise that this conversation wasn’t over. Smiling, Ken pulled two chocolate bars from his pocket and handed them to the sisters, watching as their faces instantly lit up with happiness.But Kiki wasn’t done. Squinting playfully, she turned toward Lily.“And what about big sister Lily?” she asked with a sly grin. “Has she asked you to marry her yet?”Her words caught Lily completely off guard. She flushed a deep red and quickly turned away, clearly flustered by the sudden question. Her cheeks burned, and she had no idea how to respond.“I… I didn’t…” Lily stammered, but the words caught in her throat. She tried to come up with a reply, but everything felt awkward and way too revealing.Pleased with Lily’s embarrassment, Kiki pressed on, “You know, Lily, if you keep hesitating, someone might steal Ken away before you can blink!”Lily blushed even deeper, stumbling over her words, unsure what to say, while feeling all eyes in the room on her. At that moment, Ken stepped in to rescue her.“Kiki, I’m the only one allowed to tease Lily,” he said warmly, looking at the girl with a gentle smile. “And if you keep this up, no more chocolate for you. Got it?”Kiki pretended to be offended, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.“Fine, I surrender,” she muttered, sitting down next to Julie, who was already happily unwrapping her chocolate and savoring each bite.Ken turned his gaze to Lily, who still hadn’t recovered from her embarrassment.