Night Flower's Resolve -2-
“If someone like Clara holds those values, I’m curious whether you’d accept polygamy even if your own country doesn’t.”
“Ah...”
Ichinose recognized the gravity of the moment. She wanted to focus entirely and choose her words with utmost care.
Right now, no matter how long her silence lasted, Sion and Clara would understand.
Good men are hard to even approach. It’s only been a few months since enrollment, and already this many women are serious about him.
Chewing her lower lip as she pondered deeply, Ichinose finally opened her eyes and stared blankly at the café ceiling.
Then she lowered her gaze to Clara, who was nibbling away at her bread.
“Clara.”
“Yes?”
“Coming from Zeno, I figured your views on dating and marriage might align with mine. Is there a reason you’ve accepted it?”
“...”
“Or did you never have any aversion to polygamy to begin with?”
The girl shook her head desperately—no, that wasn’t it—her purple twintails swaying with the motion.
“Th-there... there was a trigger...”
“Could you tell me?”
Clara glanced at Sion beside her before her lips moved.
“J-Juyeon said that the ones approaching should be the ones to understand the culture...”
“!”
As expected of the Juyeon she admires so much. Ichinose felt a sudden clarity wash over her.
It hadn’t even crossed her mind that Clara would confide in Juyeon about this.
“And I want to be with Sion unnie, too...”
Sion, hearing this, smiled gently at Clara.
It was the kind, tender smile Sion rarely showed anyone, proof of just how deep their bond ran.
Sion took Clara’s pale hand under the table and continued the conversation.
“Let me share a bit more of our thoughts with you, Ichinose. For starters, Clara and I don’t know Rohan’s feelings.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“We can’t be certain how Rohan sees us. Can you say you’re sure, Ichinose?”
Sion and Clara couldn’t.
If they were absolutely confident that Rohan loved them as women, they wouldn’t be scheming to bring someone else into the fold.
“How Rohan feels about me...”
Ichinose thought it over carefully.
From the way he treated her, he definitely had some fondness. But beyond that? She had no idea.
He’d always had that subtle kindness about him, ever since they first met.
A mysterious air, as if he’d known her from the start.
“We want to confess, of course. But... we believe it’s right to do so only when we’re certain.”
“So confession means certainty, not just confirmation.”
“Exactly.”
“...”
Ichinose couldn’t criticize Sion and Clara for being complacent.
Just imagining confessing to Rohan and getting rejected made cold sweat trickle down her back.
Without realizing it, tension gripped her whole body, her hand clenching tight around the hilt of her sword.
“Since Rohan’s from the south, if prepared women banded together, wouldn’t that raise our chances, even a little? Even if it feels pathetic, we want to grasp that possibility.”
Clara was in that state too, but the elf Sion couldn’t turn back her straight-charging heart. The handle was already yanked out and tossed away.
Even if it meant crawling on the floor, she just wanted to stay by Rohan’s side and be loved.
“Clara and I are doing our utmost to become women who match Rohan’s tastes. Training, aesthetics, cooking—we’re studying what he prefers.”
“...”
“Even so, we often come up short and flail around. We’d like your help if you join us.”
Ichinose fell silent, meeting Sion’s utterly serious gaze.
These two girls were building a systematic approach to win Rohan over.
Unlike her, who had only just realized her feelings and was lost in vague fantasies. She now saw that her assumption—they’d naturally become that kind of couple as time passed—was a delusion.
And above all, Juyeon’s advice to Clara.
A word from someone she respected had struck the girl’s heartstrings.
Polygamy does feel off-putting... but forcing monogamy on Rohan from our side, the ones approaching him, would lack respect too.
Of course, she could try going after him alone.
But could she beat these two? And if another attractive woman joined their group later, she’d only fall further behind.
“...”
Ichinose coldly imagined herself in Rohan’s shoes, deciding who to choose.
Sadly, victory wasn’t guaranteed. She had no choice but to raise the white flag.
“Would there be any advantages to joining hands with you all?”
That question alone was proof she’d come around.
Sion calmly continued her explanation.
“Rohan usually comes to the mansion for dinner. We train together, and on weekends like today, we often share breakfast too.”
“O-oppa feels bad about using the mansion, so he cooks for us a lot...”
Ichinose, listening intently, blinked in surprise.
These two were deeply entangled with Rohan.
“If you join us, you could come and go from the mansion like Rohan without issue. It’d just mean we’re that close—and honestly, we want to get closer to you too.”
“I-I want to be friends with unnie...!”
“Plus, there are definitely times when you’d be alone with Rohan.”
“Y-yeah...!”
Clara nodded emphatically, sealing the point.
Ichinose fell silent once more, the conditions pulling at her heart stronger than any succubus charm.
She glanced at her remaining coffee.
Thought quietly.
Her answer was already set.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
The response they’d been waiting for brought radiant smiles to Sion and Clara’s faces.
If Ichinose had brushed them off, their relationship would’ve naturally drifted apart.
She’d worried Rohan would hate that scenario. Thank goodness. It felt like crossing a massive hurdle.
The three exchanged numbers right there.
And created a new group chat for messaging.
··
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With the ideal outcome secured, a peaceful calm settled over the three.
As tension melted away, Sion finally felt her hunger and swallowed a piece of salmon from the brunch dish.
Then she picked up the topic she’d been curious about.
“It might be out of order coming here, but one more thing?”
“Of course.”
“I know Cheonoecheon, run by your father Ichinose Jun, is Samhwa Nation’s largest corporation.”
“That’s right.”
“So I’m wondering how free you are. From what I’ve heard, prominent martial families or powerhouses often have arranged marriages.”
Sion and Clara had even swapped numbers with Momo somehow.
The vibe suggested it was unlikely, but just in case.
Nothing beat hearing it straight from her.
“I know there’ve been plenty of proposals so far... but my parents turned them all down without me even needing to say anything. They want me to live as I choose.”
“That’s a relief. You have the freedom to find your own happiness.”
“Unnie and oppa must be fated...! Hehe...”
Ichinose smiled faintly at Clara’s words.
The way she casually used such an embarrassing word made Clara seem like a girl straight out of heaven.
“One last thing I’m curious about.”
“Ask away. That’s what this is for, right?”
Ichinose was growing intrigued by Sion’s unexpectedly chatty side.
She was starting to grasp the facets these two girls possessed.
“You’re close with Noah Frozenheart, I hear.”
Ichinose nodded. No point denying it.
Whether to answer would come after the question.
“Does Noah... feel the same about Rohan?”
Before the words finished, Ichinose shook her head.
“No. Absolutely not.”
“You’re certain.”
“Yes. Though she probably sees him as a good friend.”
Noah couldn’t hide her emotions.
If she felt more than fondness, she’d have charged straight in without a second thought.
Of course, that’s just my guess.
Having grown up together, Ichinose had never seen Noah like a man that way.
Sure, plenty of guys had confessed to Noah, but they’d all been firmly rejected.
If Noah did like Rohan...?
Everyone here would be on high alert.
Ichinose could only speculate vaguely like that.
Watching her pout and lost in thought, Sion’s lips curved up.
With their pact sealed, it was time to close the distance.
“Since we’re here, want to head to the mansion now? Rohan should still be there.”
“...Is that okay?”
“He even brought up our shared connection before. I think he’ll welcome it.”
“Then... please.”
It was Sunday, and she had the perfect excuse to see Rohan.
As the excited Ichinose hurriedly gathered her things and drained her cup,
Sion and Clara exchanged smiles, feeling like they were looking in a mirror.