Rebecca
Pass! Of everyone I've ever laid eyes on, her luck ranks among the top three. No need to look any further — she's in!
Unable to hold herself back a second longer, Fortuna shot forward and thrust her face right into Rebecca's, hovering inches away.
Rebecca's expression went dazed and dreamy as those beautiful golden eyes filled her vision. It was only natural. Fortuna was an angel, and her beauty was quite literally heavenly. Dark elves might be called one of the races of beauty, but even they could not stand comparison with an angel.
You'd need someone like Dohwa to even come close. Me? I'd be cutting it pretty fine.
Fortuna and Dohwa both insisted Jun was handsomer than anyone alive, but as far as he was concerned that was just love applying a heavy filter. By the standards of the celestial realm rather than the human one, his face still fell short. The reason people fussed over his looks instead of Fortuna's or Dohwa's was simple: the two of them used their small frames and Jun's presence to keep their own faces as hidden as possible.
In any case, Rebecca falling under Fortuna's spell was inevitable. That didn't mean her own beauty lagged far behind. Since coming to Lemumni, Jun had seen elves — another race of beauty — and any number of other gorgeous women, yet Rebecca's looks stood so far above them that he almost wondered what she really was. If the world possessed some absolute standard of beauty, then yes, she would fall short of Fortuna and Dohwa. But by personal taste? She was easily their equal. Fortunately for everyone involved, Jun happened to have exactly that taste. The proud, cool catlike features. The healthy copper-bronze skin. All of it was precisely what he liked.
"...Ah!"
Rebecca shook her head hard, belatedly realizing what kind of face she'd been making, as if determined to reclaim her dignity. It was an obvious attempt to snap herself out of it. However—
"What's wrong all of a sudden? Are you hurt? Want me to heal you?"
Their angel had a sharp eye for luck, but her eye for reading someone's will was a little lacking. Instead of giving Rebecca space, Fortuna only circled her face more anxiously.
Jun, unable to watch any longer, reached out and pulled her straight into his arms.
"Aang. Let go, Jun. The youngest looks like she's hurt. I have to heal her."
"Right now, staying still is helping."
He reeled Fortuna back in again when she tried to wriggle free, stroking her head to calm her down. Then he remembered what she'd just said and let out a small snort of laughter.
The youngest, huh. She's already treating her like a concubine she's decided to take in. She must really like Rebecca that much.
Well, she was the Angel of Fortune. Of course someone with luck this overwhelming would look good to her.
So how did Wife Number Two see her?
Reading his curiosity through the soul-bond, Dohwa answered with a clear, serene smile.
If my lord and elder sister are satisfied, how could this humble wife look upon her unfavorably?
Don't give me that. Be honest.
If that is your command, then this humble wife shall speak without reservation.
As if she had been waiting for exactly those words, Dohwa began to rake her gaze over Rebecca from head to toe with a stern, piercing eye. Rebecca flinched under the scrutiny, her face saying something like What is your problem? — but Dohwa did not look away.
Her appearance needs no comment. The sharp, fierce cast of her features is a touch bothersome, yet that is my lord's preference, is it not?
It is.
We have not spoken at great length, but to this humble wife's eye her manner of speech is merely stiff — her nature does not seem bad. There will be hidden corners, of course, yet my lord need not worry. As the first concubine, this humble wife shall educate her thoroughly.
...
There was more than enthusiasm in Dohwa's words — there was a sense of duty. Jun fell silent rather than answer at once. She was, in a roundabout way, asking him to leave the ranking of the wives to her. Given the subject, he had to be careful. Back when he first met Dohwa he had half-jokingly thought he could just put her in charge of the hierarchy. That had been half a joke.
What do I do?
In Jun's view, establishing a hierarchy among the wives in a harem was not optional — it was essential. Love could be divided evenly if you worked at it. Bodies could not. An order would form whether anyone wanted it or not, and fighting over the earlier spots was inevitable. A sweet protagonist out of a novel might soothe his wives and keep the squabbles to a minimum. Jun honestly did not have the confidence for that. He didn't particularly want to, either. He would end up absorbing every last bit of their irritation.
Do it, then.
This humble wife is most grateful, my lord, that you would trust her with the task.
After a brief, vivid mental image of himself as the designated irritation-sponge for every wife, Jun handed the hierarchy over to Dohwa. It was a garbage decision — dumping the headache on her so he could enjoy only the fruit. Still, better that than charging in full of resolve, quitting halfway, and backing out. At least the wives would not be left in confusion. And he had a safeguard.
Dohwa. I don't have to say it, do I?
Yes. This humble wife shall do her utmost so that neither my lord nor elder sister is hurt.
Jun and Fortuna wanted the family to be harmonious. Dohwa, who put the two of them above herself, would have no choice but to work toward that harmony whether she liked it or not. And because she was bound to Jun by the soul-bond, if she ever let personal bias into the rankings he would notice at once. He could have given the job to Fortuna, who was bound the same way — but Fortuna was soft-hearted and not nearly as sharp as Dohwa. The role did not suit her.
So is the evaluation finished?
Not yet. Hmm. Her hips look exceedingly large and sturdy. She seems as though she would bear children with ease.
This time Jun nodded without hesitation. Rebecca's hips really were magnificent — far larger than Fortuna's — yet her height, which looked to be around a hundred and eighty centimeters, and her springy muscle kept the proportions and shape so ideal that they looked not strange but deliciously inviting. To put it a little vulgarly: rear-entry-specialized hips.
Looking at her breasts, the children would not want for milk either. They are certainly smaller than elder sister's — but then, elder sister is unusually large, is she not?
She defended Rebecca with her words while regarding those breasts with a distinctly cold eye. Was she simply displeased that a younger-sister candidate had a bigger chest than her own? Or had her contradictory breast-phobia flared up again? Jun had no idea. Catching his dubious look, Dohwa cleared her throat and continued.
Ahem. In this humble wife's judgment as well, it would be good to take that woman as a concubine. It would have been better still if she were not so absorbed in those bomb-things, of course.
Well, nobody's perfect. Looks, figure, personality, ability — all outstanding. In good conscience she has to have at least one flaw that size.
He said it lightly, but he felt the same regret. Making and using bombs was so lethally dangerous that the sheer volume of luck Rebecca was burning just to avoid disaster had to be enormous. And if — just if — she ever stopped making and using them, and all that luck went somewhere else? He would bet anything that whatever she touched would hit the jackpot.
If Rebecca comes in as a wife, I'll talk to her about it once.
Judging by the gleam of mania in her eyes, a talk would not make her quit entirely — but it might at least cut down how often she built and used the things.
Would it not be better to push a little harder and make her abandon them completely?
Let's check first, then decide.
With that, Jun looked over at Rebecca. She was already being thoroughly tormented by Fortuna, who had slipped free of his grip again.
"..."
"Dohwa, why the sour face? Jealous that For's paying attention to Rebecca instead of you?"
"Ah — no, my lord."
"Don't give me that. It's written all over your face."
"...It is an unsightly face. Please do not look upon it."
Caught out, Dohwa covered her face with both hands and confessed without a fight. The sight was so adorable that Jun laughed, stroked her head, and called Fortuna over.
"For, Dohwa says she's lonely because you're not paying attention to her."
Whoosh—
"Our Dohwa wanted to play with her big sister? You should have said so sooner."
"U-unnie, please hold this humble wife a little more gently. She cannot breathe."
Fortuna shot back at once and crushed Dohwa in a fierce hug. Dohwa blushed at the affection but did not push her away. Jun watched his two wives getting along so well, smiled in satisfaction, and looked at Rebecca again. She happened to be looking at him too — half gratitude, half reproach in her eyes.
"Haha. She really put you through it, didn't she?"
"She was strangely fixated on me. Do you know why?"
"She says she likes you because you've got an enormous amount of luck. For reference, Fortuna is a fairy of fortune."
Rebecca's face twisted into something bizarre.
"What kind of nonsense is that. Me, lucky? Do you have any idea how many petty accidents and disasters I put up with?"
"Well. Whether that's true or not, we'll find out carefully from here on. More importantly — shall we start the test?"
"Of what?"
"What else? Rebecca's skill, and..."
He let the sentence trail off and mimed something exploding with both hands.
"Your bombs. You didn't leave them behind, did you?"
"...Heh. Who do you take me for?"
Rebecca gave a small snort, folded her arms with solemn dignity, and continued.
"I am a meticulous dark elf, the one they call Bomb Mara. Do you truly think I would come without my bombs?"
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
"Behold."
A smile so charming it could make anyone fall for her at a glance. But the only thing that came out of Jun's mouth when he saw it was—
"Hey! Why are you pulling those out here?!"
"Kyaaaah!!!"
—nothing but rough, panicked noise.