The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 272 - Happy Wife, Happy… Et tu, Onya?

Chapter 272: Chapter 272 - Happy Wife, Happy... Et tu, Onya?

Dame Goltbred sat at a small table sipping tea at dawn as she watched her daughters. Her eldest appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood as she swayed and danced with her youngest held to her chest.

Brown eyes on her littlest tracked the five birds flying and playing in circles around them. Some of the excitement in Onya had faded down to just quietly watching. Even a tiny chubby hand could only reach out for things she couldn’t touch for so long!

"I wonder how much money she has spent on dresses during this event..."

The Goltbred Patriarch made the mistake of thinking out loud. Ondua had seen her wearing so many lately that he had not before... and the camp servants had notified him about the fairly constant stream of deliveries.

"If you’ve seen that trunk with the copper corner brackets in my things, it is full of clothes~"

Her father paused mid-sip. That piece of furniture was twice the size of the one his wife brought! His brown eyes fixed on his eldest daughter, scared to repeat the question of value.

"Clothes? Not only dresses?"

Yatrel caught the distinction first. The woman was aware that her two little friends had been given a few sets of outfits already. With that, it was not a far leap to question whether Elua had purchased some for other people.

’Especially something for our son-in-law.’

"Well yes, clothes in general. The third layer of stalls had this lovely fabric merchant who brought silks from-"

The girl rambled on for a while. She shifted Onya over to one hip while gesturing dramatically during parts with her free hand. Eventually she noted her father’s vacant expression and smiled.

"Don’t look so concerned, it’s not all for me. I bought some things for Nohre and Fusand. Oh, and three new outfits for Klaytei since she works so hard."

She really didn’t want to think about how her personal servant requested another two items last night. A matching paired set of nightclothes... in two different sizes. The Goltbred heiress was pretty sure things had not progressed so quickly with Dima!

’The woman somehow both gets ahead of herself and waits like a thief in the dark at the same time. It should be endearing, but... with her target, you know...’

"I even picked out some formal wear for you, father. Though you haven’t tried any of them on yet so I’m not sure they will fit without tailoring."

"And how many pieces did you get for Qatrand?"

The amused voice from the duelist made her daughter’s mint eyes drift skyward. She made a show of counting on her fingers slowly before holding them out with a smirk.

"Only three more than father. Perfect fits. That’s quite reasonable this time, don’t you think?"

"Y-yes. Thank you."

Ondua sighed and accepted it. Already more than half the girl’s short life now... the Yecine heir was *at least* going to rank higher than him in any scenario. He was just grateful this wasn’t one of the ’I forgot to even get you anything’ moments!

"I can’t help but notice you have avoided mentioning exactly how many dresses are in there for yourself, dear?"

Her mother’s raised eyebrow made the small cultivator’s shoulders draw in. She looked away from them pointedly as her eyes dulled.

"...I may need another trunk soon."

The admission came in her monotone voice, though her ’sweet’ smiling facade returned quickly. The brunette stepped forward with excuses ready.

"But I’ve already arranged for a mortal seamstress to help adjust anything I might donate to the cultivator orphanages after the Descent. She has excellent references and works quickly, which means-"

"You’re trying to distract us."

"Yes. Is it working?"

The playful response earned a soft chuckle from the woman with reddish blonde hair. Her eldest was independent enough to have her own source of funds, so if she was truly doing so well it was a happy thing.

’But I won’t play with her this time. She can either give me what she bought for me or keep pretending until she can no longer stand it.’

As his wife sipped on her drink assuredly, her husband shook his head fondly.

"You don’t have to tell us. I was just thinking it was nice. You look lovely this morning, dear. I should have started with that."

Elua curtsied carefully with the child at her hip, the white dress with red trim folding and puffing in all the right spots... for an illusion.

"Thank you. You’ve dressed smartly today as well, dad. It’s just hard to tell next to mom."

"Haha, you say good things sometimes. Looks like I’m making a lot of mistakes - our daughter complimented before me. Stunning as always."

Mint eyes rolled and looked away quickly, while covering Onya’s line of sight with her free palm. It was too early in the morning to see Yatrel stand... only to lean down to kiss their father so freely on the lips!

"I seem to remember being pulled away like a misbehaving cat for this very thing."

"You were too young and not even married. It was also in a public street and not the privacy of this camp. It’s hardly the same."

The woman shook her head while moving to stand behind and hold the man’s head in her hands. She began to scratch her fingers through his hair... but the force was a little...

’Oh no, she’s in a very good mood!’

Ondua shook internally and hoped the day would turn out fine.

"Please start counting your ’auspicious’ and ’river bend’ as public constructs for the sake of this affair. I keep any kissing with my beloved a lot more constrained."

"Yes, the two of you making out on the bed at our estate under our nose was very private indeed."

The brunette man’s spine jerked straight after hearing that, but the hands around his head held him down. He wanted to say something but his wife started to dig harder into his scalp.

"I also feel like I heard a rumor of some blonde cultivator kissing the ’medical fairy’ in the middle of the street. My dear, how private you’ve been with everything. Good work."

"That was... I see your point. Lets forget the public angle and just treat me as special then? Seeing your parents too intimate is just awkward, okay?"

"Elua. Let me ask you something. If you found yourself able to do whatever you wanted with your husband no matter the location because the other person accepted it, then-"

"Say no more. I get it now."

The heiress held her hand still to stop the flow of words. It wasn’t like she hadn’t made the comparison before, but when the other person verifies your hypothesis independently... you can finally run with the theory!

’Acceptance and submission aren’t *really* the same thing. I should know! But I probably should not open that hole in their relationship~’

Instead of letting the conversation drag into uncomfortable territory, the illusionist prodded the Skydancers toward a certain direction. Outside the camp, a certain blonde had been pacing for many minutes. It was about time to force her into something.

The birds swept low, their iridescent feathers shiny in the early morning light as they passed near the Continental Army cultivator. Talva’s fingers twisted at the sides of her tunic as they surrounded and sang at her. The woman’s spirit betrayed her increasingly warring urges to approach and retreat.

"Good morning, Talva."

The brunette’s loud voice drew her parents’ attention toward the camp entrance. Her companion Skydancer landed on a post nearby, trilling what could only be an invitation to the hesitant woman hiding around the corner. The other four ’blocked’ her path by landing near her and hopping as if herding her forward.

While all of that was very strange, the warrior still understood she had been caught. There was no longer a safe retreat. Yet, she felt almost relieved. Now she was realizing she had been sort of hoping for the guard to go inform of her suspicious behavior...

"Taltal!"

The toddler’s excited call when she stepped into the camp made Talva straighten. Her blue eyes opened wide, spirit rippling with complex emotions at being recognized so quickly by the child. For being remembered.

"Welcome. You might as well join us for morning tea."

The mother’s words held warmth. The kind that made the blonde feel like she was back home. Yatrel er Goltbred was a lot kinder to other women than the rumors would claim.

Though the hands gripping oddly around Ondua er Goltbred’s skull gave her pause.

’Is that because I’m here...?’

"I... wouldn’t want to intrude."

"Nonsense. I suspect someone has been waiting for you to gather your courage to visit."

Elua’s mint eyes glinted with mischief as she shifted Onya in her arms. The brunette had been the one waiting, but it was easy to make it seem like the smaller girl was who she meant. The child was already reaching toward her newfound playmate with grabby hands.

’Yes, yes. You love me but the new thing is more exciting. I understand, you little traitor.’

The reincarnator resolved not to test whether her sister liked Qatrand or Talva more. Neither answer would make her ’happy’! As the blonde stepped close to their table, Onya practically launched herself from Elua’s arms into the taller woman’s hold.

"We were just about to discuss which performances might be especially worth taking my sister to see. I believe you mentioned the Frozen Duskblade’s exhibition will be quite the spectacle, father?"

The ancient cultivator’s prompt drew Talva in like a hook. She talked and talked, unable to resist sharing her own thoughts about the upcoming events. She was too happy from the child laughing and slapping her face without fear to dare stay quiet and find herself waking up from a dream.

The waking Talcres couple - as well as the pair of Elua’s disciples - also joined in that lively chatter as the minutes went by. It turned into a breakfast gathering the likes of which would be hard to find anywhere else on the grounds. People from different walks, chatting and laughing over food.

Ondua’s gaze had stuck bitterly on his youngest daughter’s instant comfort with Talva er Ryleon. That the blonde woman was related to Anper’s wife gave him complicated feelings. He’d already ’lost’ one daughter to that bloodline!

’It’s certainly not the Yecine side that she is so enamored with. At least the age difference with my youngest is very great... and she is a married woman.’

The brown haired man worked the probability math to comfort himself, but it only left him dreading the day that marriage talks would begin again. Arranging another for his next offspring - just because the first worked out well - was not something he hoped for.

When the meal wound down, the father locked eyes with his eldest child. He was grateful that she had grown up happy and healthy most of all. Judging by that particularly smug and satisfied expression - more things were going to plan than not.

The girl skipped close and whispered in his ear.

"You’re jealous of her and my traitor sister too, aren’t you? Now we match~"

It was hard to be excessively *grateful* about her spiteful, scheming nature...