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Do vote for who do you think is the best girl to be the wife and let us know in the comments on why you think that girl deserves to win!

Chapter 28: Dilemma [STAR]

"Are you seriously just going to give him up?" said Olivia. She is one of my friend from the Viking guild.

"I wouldn't have given up on him even if he was in a relationship with that elf girl. He looks so yummy," said Elia. She is my other friend from the Elemental guild.

"Ladies, I think we should be giving her a better advice instead here," said Clara. My good friend from Light guild.

I met up with my friends after we came back from the City of Underwater Marrydia. The journey back was thankfully much safer than the journey going there. I will forever have nightmares on that. Lily was sticking next to onii-chan like a butterfly to a flower, all the way. I won't lie, I was absolutely jealous of Lily. But after I calmed myself, I come to realised that onii-chan never looked at me in such a romantic way. Even when I did my best to get him to look at me differently, he just never seemed to showed any interest whatsoever.

After getting to know Lily a little more, I think I can make my peace that if they started dating, I can be happy for them. She is quite matured and she genuinely cares about onii-chan. We talked about him when we stayed together at the tavern. He told me directly that she likes Zen and wishes to go out with him. After coming so close to death, she no longer want to hesitate and lie to herself anymore.

As she was honest with her answer, I gave her mine as well. I told her that I love onii-chan. Not as a brother but as a love interest. However, I told her that I am aware that onii-chan does not see me that way. I wished Lily all the best that if he agreed to going out with her then I won't stand in their way.

Lily sat at the side of me on my bed and hugged me. She said that the both of us should give it our all and let him know of our feelings at the very least. Should either of us wins, the other should concede. She told me that if they did ended up dating, then I can start calling her Lily onee-chan as will be part of our family.  She already felt like an elder sister to me right now. I told her that I'll consider it.

I won't lie, I am partly excited to have an elder sister to call my own. To have an elder brother and a sister, it certainly makes me happy. But I know deep down that my heart will be broken. I did not even know when did I started to have feelings for onii-chan. When we first met, he was this weirdo that bought me out of nowhere and asked me to stay with him. I was horrified and thought of all the horrible things that this man would be doing to me.

But he was complete opposite of what I imagined in my head. He was kind and loving. He gave me a name and gave me lots of head pats which he exploits it now to calm me down even when I don't want to. He even gave me my own personal room and made sure to give me space to acclimate myself. Without even knowing it, I fell in love with him and his smiles. Come to think of it, both Lily and I looked at Zen like some hero who saved us. I wonder if there are other girls who looked at him the same way we do.

"I’ll say, you should start seducing him before they even start dating, Rose," said Olivia.

"What?! No way! My body isn't even that sexy to seduce him anyway. Have you seen my rival? Her body is so voluptuous that even I shrink at the sight of it," I said to all of them.

"Rose... can you evem bear the thought of your brother dating another girl?" asked Clara. She had always been the most matured one among us.

"I.. really don't know how to answer that. On one hand, I am sure that I would devastated. But on the other, it is not the end of the world. I would even get an elder sister of my own," I said.

"Stop thinking about that, Rose. This is war between two females on who gets the mushroom. You have to fight for him, Rose!" said Elia.

"Mushroom?" I looked at Elia with a confused face.

"Oh my sweet summers child," Elia said while giving me a hug.

"Look.. all I can say is, I'll be fine if onii-chan started dating Lily. He always had his fetish for female elves anyway. The amount of times that he showed his perverted look whenever he looks at a female elf was uncountable. How am I going to compete with that in the first place? Better to have him date Lily than some other random female elf, in my opinion," I said to all of them.

"Think about yourself for once, Rose. Give yourself a chance. Test your luck and if it doesn't work out, then concede and continue to be his little sister," said Clara.

"But I have already tried many times and it didn’t work. What is the point of even trying further?" I said.

"Mm-mm. You have not tried any of our ideas yet. I say you try all of our suggestions and then only you concede. How about that?" said Olivia.

"Um.. ok, I guess?" I said.

Why did I even say yes to that.

***

I have a date with Lily today. Feels so surreal that I am meeting up with her after five years of her avoiding me. I have prepared my best looking clothes and waited for time to pass. I know I am feeling restless as I am literally walking around blindly. I screamed when Rose suddenly opened the main door. I didn't even know that she was coming over today.

"Onii-chan, why are you acting so nervous?" asked Rose.

"Oh, I'm just going out later. No worries," I said.

Rose just nodded with a "Ooo" expression. Did she figured it out? It is really hard to keep things a secret from Rose. The only reason I was able to keep my gauntlets a secret was to leave it hidden in the chest and never talked about it.

She started boiling some hot water and took out some flower petals from her bag. That's odd, she usually never bring anything when she visits me. She didn't even need to bring anything over as she still had her clothings and necessities here. Is she planning to stay here long? Not like she can't stay but I didn't felt like explaining to her that I am going out on a date with Lily later.

She went into her room with her bag. I need to stop narrating to myself on whatever she is doing and just calm the hell down. Ok, just relax yourself. There is still a few hours before the meet-up time. Let's just read something or do some Alchemy. No, if I were to do Alchemy with such distracted thoughts I will be wasting the ingredients. Let's just sit down and meditate then.

I heard Rose coming out of her room and proceeded to the kitchen. I continued to keep my eyes closed and did some meditation all the while hoping that Kirin doesn’t suddenly appear in my mind. After some time, I heard Rose walking closer I spoke to me.

"Onii-chan, have some tea," she said.

I opened my eyes and wanted to take the cup and saucer from her. Hiee! What is she wearing?! Is that... a negligee? I can literally see her undergarments underneath!

"Rose.. why are you wearing this at this hour?" I asked her.

"Hm? Oh, I tried wearing this once and felt that it was comfortable to wear. You're not bothered by it, are you?" she said.

"N.. no, I'm not bothered by it. You can wear what you wish," I told her.

I didn't know how to reply to that. She even said it with a straight face. If she isn’t bothered by it then I shouldn’t let it bother me as well.

I tried to ignore what Rose was wearing and focus on the tea she made. It is different than what she usually makes. I sipped the tea and was impressed by it.

"Woah, what tea is this? It’s really delicious," I asked her.

"It is rose tea mixed with a little sugar and some lemon juice," she said.

"Wow.. I never even knew such tea existed. I am definitely buying more of this. Who knew rose tea would taste so good," I said.

Rose was taken aback by my remarks. I can see her blushing when her cheeks went red. But I wasn't complimenting her at all. I was just complimenting on the tea itself. She came over and sat by my side. I held back from looking at her. She was wearing something awfully distracting and it is not good for my hormones.

There was a moment of silence between us. Such awkwardness. I stood up and thought of heading to the washroom to drench my face with cold water. Rose tugged at my shirt and gestured me to sit down. I complied and sat back down. What is going in her mind right now? Perhaps she might finally open up on what is troubling her before we even came back from the City of Underwater Marrydia.

She held me face and turned it towards the direction of her face. I can see that she is embarrassed. Normal blushing does not make your cheeks so reddish.

"Onii-chan.. you.. know, right?" she asked me.

"Um.. I know what exactly?" I asked her.

"A..bout.. my feelings," she said softly.

Ah shit. Why must she bring this up on the very same day as my date with Lily? Will I even be able to enjoy my date later after this heavy talk?

"Sorry Rose, feelings about what exactly?" I asked her to be more specific.

Rose turned her back on me and clapped her cheeks with her hands. Not the bitch slap kind but more like the slap that wakes yourself up when you're feeling sleepy. Unless you are a masochist. She turned back to look at me and place her hands on my cheeks. Why do girls do this?

"My feelings for you, onii-chan," she said with a more firm tone. She is more serious now.

"I.. guess so?" I said to her. I am trying to dodge as much arrows as I can here.

"You are not that dense, onii-chan. I am asking you seriously. Answer me properly. Please?" Rose gave a little plead at the end of her sentence.

I sighed and took a deep breath. Whatever comes I will just have to face it.

"Yes. I am aware of your feelings for me. Do we really need to talk about this today?" I asked her while giving her a pleading face.

"Yes. I want to get this out of the way. You are going to see Lily later, right? I am sure she will be making her move as well," said Rose.

What? Lily will be confessing to me as well? No.. it can't be. It is just our first date!

"Alright, what do you want to know, Rose? I will answer as honestly as I can," I said to her.

"Do you love me?" asked Rose.

"As my little sister," I said.

"You don't see me as a woman that you might date?" she asked.

"I “might” consider it under different circumstances," I said.

"Are you saying what I'm wearing now doesn't entice you?" she asked me.

"If I were drunk then I might probably pounce on you," I said.

"Are you saying I might stand a chance?" she asked me with sparkling eyes.

"Uhhh.. Yes and no," I said.

"Which is it?!" she shouted at me.

"Look, Rose. You are still young. You are just thirteen. Perhaps when you're older then I’ll give you a more proper answer. But until then, can you just be my little sister? Please?" I asked pleaded to her.

"How much older do I need to get until you'll consider?" she asked me.

"Umm.. sixteen and above I suppose," I said.

"Lily will win you over by then!" she said while tears were appearing in her eyes.

She started crying. I walked closer and gave her a hug while petting her head.

"If it troubles you that much then I won't go out with Lily. I'll wait until you're sixteen then I'll give both of you my answer, alright?" I said softly to her while trying to comfort her.

"No.. that won't be fair to Lily. I confessed to you and you rejected me," she said while still crying.

"You'll still be my little sister no matter what, Rose. It is not the end of the world or something. Don't cry," I continued petting her head. Why won't she calm down today?

After some time, she finally stopped crying. Phew, glad that is over. I looked at the hourglass and it was close to the meet-up time with Lily. I told Rose that I would need to go out soon. She wiped her tears and said ok.

“Please give Lily your honest answer. If you have feelings for her then do accept her. I’ll be fine,” said Rose.

I quickly changed my clothes and head towards the main door. As I held the door know, I decided to speak with Rose properly before I leave.

“Rose, don’t even think about doing anything stupid when I’m away. And never ever think about killing yourself. You will always be my little sister no matter what happens. And I will hate myself should anything bad happens to you. Promise me that, please,” I said to Rose.

“I.. promise, onii-chan. I won’t do anything stupid. Say hi to Lily for me,” she said while retreating to her room.

I am sorry Rose. I gave you my honest answer. Please find it in yourself to forgive your older brother.

I headed out and rushed towards the location where I was supposed to meet Lily. I was surprised she suggested that we meet up at the townhouse of all places. I reached the location and looked for Lily. I hope I am not late. I looked around and I don’t see her. Maybe I’m still early I suppose.

“Zen?” someone called out to me from behind.

I looked back and saw Lily. Woah, she is as stunning as ever. She was wearing a beautiful green dress that finally covered up her belly area. The number of times I swallowed my saliva when we were hanging out together in the City of Underwater Marrydia was infinitely uncountable. She braided her hair which hid her long ponytail. I’m surprised she actually kept that.

“Did an angel grace me with her presence?” I asked.

“Oh, you and your compliments. Let’s go,” said Lily while she blushes.

“Where shall we go my eminent grace?” I teased her.

“Let’s go.. there,” she said. I thought she had things planned out.

“I’m surprised to see you wearing your glasses again. I thought you preferred the other method you were talking about,” I said.

“Oh, you meant the contact glasses. Well, those are better when I know that I’ll be engaged in combat but it hurt the eyes after a while. And besides, a certain someone said that he only recognises me when I wear my ‘signature’ glasses,” said Lily.

It was only then that I realised that Lily’s dress was showing an awful lot of skin on her back area. I was wrong, she certainly did not wear a more proper dress.

“Y.. your dress sure shows a lot of your back. Won’t you be cold or something?” I asked her.

“Well, I was hoping that I can capture the interest of the dashing guy walking beside me. And good thing he brought along his cloak,” she said.

“Oh, this? I am just being cautious. I make it a habit to always be prepared for the worst. It is just a precaution for myself in the event I need to protect someone,” I said.

“Is that someone being me?” Lily asked.

“Of course I’ll protect my angel,” I said.

Both of us started laughing. The conversation had a lot of sarcasm in it that we could not hold it in anymore. We reached the location that Lily was pointing to. It turns out she did planned something out. A gondola was waiting for us. The boatman gestured us to hop on board. I went in first and held out a hand for Lily to grab on to. She happily took my hand but she still slipped. I quickly grabbed onto her to make sure she doesn’t fall. Seems like she is not used to wearing those shoes. Or did she? Maybe she purposefully slipped so that I’ll catch her.

We sat at the back of the gondola. Only both of us was on board. Lily cuddled with me as the boatman rowed the boat slowly. I did not even knew there was such a service in the city. The waterways and canals that was used to flow rain water out of the city has now turned into some romantic "river" cruise. This service must have been very recent as there is no way that I had never heard of about this before.

We crossed by a few overhead bridges where people started looking at us. There were surprised that we were sitting on a gondola right here in the city. A few children and adults waved at us while we passed by. I smiled awkwardly as I returned the wave to them. The boatman was rowing very slowly.

"Lily, why are people looking at us? Isn't this some service anyone can use?" I asked her.

"Hm? What are you talking about? I made this specially for the both of us," she said.

"What? You mean hired a boatman to bring us somewhere? How did you even thought of this idea?" I asked her.

"I wanted our date to be special. Just sit back and watch," said Lily as she continued to cuddle with me.

It was late evening by now when the boatman rowed us out of the city. He brought us to an area where there were it was kind of swampy. Are those.. mangrove trees? But it had clear sight of the sun as it was starting to set. Lily leaned her head on my shoulder and held my right hand while I leaned slightly over hers. So this was what she had planned for our first date. How am I going to find a better idea to top this up for our second one? Do I need to plan a trip to the moon?

To be honest, I was never a romantic person. But seeing the sunset live with your eyes can certainly change your views.

The sun was hidden now and it was getting a little bit darker. I assumed we will be heading back but the boatman just sat there looking towards the trees. Are we going to be safe here when it gets darker? Can he row us back safely?

Just as I pondered on that thought, I noticed something flew across my vision. It was a spot of light. I was shocked by it and started looking around. More and more of those small floating lights started to appear. It was only then did I knew that it was fireflies. So many of them were flying around. No wonder we sat here waiting even though it was getting darker.

Lily was looking at the fireflies with amazement. She was pointing around and said "Wow" several times. It was certainly ‘wow’ for me. This woman made such elaborate plans for our first date. I am speechless indeed.

Lily noticed that I was looking at her. She looks really beautiful. I do not mind being able to date her. She is a keeper and a steal for me. As a certain ginger-haired man once said, she looks perfect tonight.

I brushed some of her hairs that was out of place. She held my hand and moved closer to me.

"Zen... I love you. Would you go out with me?" she confessed to me.

I moved my face closer to her and whispered her name. I kissed her. Our lips entwine with one another. I felt like I shouldn't let go of this wonderful woman. I should cherish her and make her happy for the rest of my life. I want to be with Lily.

But sadly, the image of Rose crying suddenly appeared in my head.

I opened my eyes and gently moved Lily back. I looked down as I dared not look Lily in the eyes. She seemed to notice something was wrong.

"Lily, I'm sorry, can you give me a bit of time? I want to think about it a little bit more, please?" I asked her while still looking downwards.

"I... see.. it's Rose, isn't it? You didn't realised that you had feelings for her until now," she said. Damn it, I shouldn't have gave her the bracelet.

"I'll give you an answer in a couple of days. I promise. Just let me gather my thoughts for now," I said to her.

"Alright. Let's head back then," she said and gestured the boatman to bring us back to the city.

I totally forgot the boatman was even here. Didn't he feel awkward seeing us kissing at the back? He took out a lamp and lighted it before he started rowing.

"I'm really sorry, Lily. You planned such a perfect date and yet I couldn't give you an answer. I'm really sorry," I apologised to her.

"Think nothing of it," she said.

Yikes, her mood is not good now. And she used my own words against me. We were silent all the way back.

***

We arrived back in the city. I thought we would say our farewell but she told me to follow her. I assumed that she would be in a bad mood by now but she looked normal. I should just follow her and not push it. We reached a fancy looking tavern and headed in. A table was already prepared for us. As we sat down, food immediately arrived. I looked at Lily with a speechless and pity eyes. She smiled at me and proceeded to eat.

What am I even doing? This woman did so much on our first date and I made the mood sour because I was indecisive. Damn it, why did Rose even have to confess to me of all days. My mind is absolutely conflicted right now along with my heart.

Yes, I love Lily, I won't deny that. But I might have some feelings for Rose as well, despite me trying to deny it for so long. I am not a liberty to have two wives. This is not a world unlike a certain MT story where I can have three wives.

The food was delicious but I did not get to enjoy it. I was stuck in a big dilemma on who should I choose and what am I suppose to do. Perhaps I will need to talk a little bit more with Rose when I get back.

After we were done eating, I walked up to where Lily was sitting and helped her up while holding her hand. I might not be able to return her love today but it does not mean I cannot treat her well.

"Someone is being extra gentlemanly all of a sudden," said Lily.

I just smiled at her and guided her out. I made sure to pay for the meal as it was the least I could do for today. She hugged my arm closely which made me feel her chest. Under normal circumstances, I would have brought her somewhere else by now. But I must hold back and get all these feelings sorted out first.

We opened the tavern's door and was greeted by a number of soldiers. I was taken aback. Soldiers rarely interfere with adventurers unless they were major complains about them causing problems. Or is this part of Lily's plan to ensure that I say yes to her today? Since I sort of said no earlier, is she going to put me in prison and torture me until I say yes?

I looked at Lily and she shook her head. Seems like she didn't know about this either.

"Mister Zen, in order of the Queen, you are to follow us to the castle," said one of the soldier.

"This late? Can this be postponed tomorrow or something?" I asked them.

"Our orders are to bring you in as soon as possible. We cannot delay any further," said the soldier.

"Alright then, I'll follow but only I am required, right? My partner can go?" I asked them.

"What? Hey! I am following you as well. Bring us to the Queen, please?" said Lily.

The soldiers just looked at each other and escorted us. I saw a few of them swallowing their throat earlier. She might not be mine now but none of you can touch her. I might not have my weapons with me but my gauntlets in my bag can fry or beat the living shit out of you should you do anything to her.

But what is going on? Why the sudden escort? I doubt this is regarding my knighting to become a Dark Knight. Something else must be up. I held Lily closer to make sure she is safe as we headed towards the castle.

Announcement Hi readers! Poll is at the very bottom! Do vote for who do you think is the best girl to be the wife and let us know in the comments on why you think that girl deserves to win! Chapter 28: Dilemma STAR "Are you seriously just going to give him up?" said Olivia. She is one of my friend from the Viking guild. "I wouldn't have given up on him even if he was in a relationship with that elf girl. He looks so yummy," said Elia. She is my other friend from the Elemental guild. "Ladies, I think we should be giving her a better advice instead here," said Clara. My good friend from Light guild. I met up with my friends after we came back from the City of Underwater Marrydia. The journey back was thankfully much safer than the journey going there. I will forever have nightmares on that. Lily was sticking next to onii-chan like a butterfly to a flower, all the way. I won't lie, I was absolutely jealous of Lily. But after I calmed myself, I come to realised that onii-chan never looked at me in such a romantic way. Even when I did my best to get him to look at me differently, he just never seemed to showed any interest whatsoever. After getting to know Lily a little more, I think I can make my peace that if they started dating, I can be happy for them. She is quite matured and she genuinely cares about onii-chan. We talked about him when we stayed together at the tavern. He told me directly that she likes Zen and wishes to go out with him. After coming so close to death, she no longer want to hesitate and lie to herself anymore. As she was honest with her answer, I gave her mine as well. I told her that I love onii-chan. Not as a brother but as a love interest. However, I told her that I am aware that onii-chan does not see me that way. I wished Lily all the best that if he agreed to going out with her then I won't stand in their way. Lily sat at the side of me on my bed and hugged me. She said that the both of us should give it our all and let him know of our feelings at the very least. Should either of us wins, the other should concede. She told me that if they did ended up dating, then I can start calling her Lily onee-chan as will be part of our family. She already felt like an elder sister to me right now. I told her that I'll consider it. I won't lie, I am partly excited to have an elder sister to call my own. To have an elder brother and a sister, it certainly makes me happy. But I know deep down that my heart will be broken. I did not even know when did I started to have feelings for onii-chan. When we first met, he was this weirdo that bought me out of nowhere and asked me to stay with him. I was horrified and thought of all the horrible things that this man would be doing to me. But he was complete opposite of what I imagined in my head. He was kind and loving. He gave me a name and gave me lots of head pats which he exploits it now to calm me down even when I don't want to. He even gave me my own personal room and made sure to give me space to acclimate myself. Without even knowing it, I fell in love with him and his smiles. Come to think of it, both Lily and I looked at Zen like some hero who saved us. I wonder if there are other girls who looked at him the same way we do. "I'll say, you should start seducing him before they even start dating, Rose," said Olivia. "What?! No way! My body isn't even that sexy to seduce him anyway. Have you seen my rival? Her body is so voluptuous that even I shrink at the sight of it," I said to all of them. "Rose... can you evem bear the thought of your brother dating another girl?" asked Clara. She had always been the most matured one among us. "I.. really don't know how to answer that. On one hand, I am sure that I would devastated. But on the other, it is not the end of the world. I would even get an elder sister of my own," I said. "Stop thinking about that, Rose. This is war between two females on who gets the mushroom. You have to fight for him, Rose!" said Elia. "Mushroom?" I looked at Elia with a confused face. "Oh my sweet summers child," Elia said while giving me a hug. "Look.. all I can say is, I'll be fine if onii-chan started dating Lily. He always had his fetish for female elves anyway. The amount of times that he showed his perverted look whenever he looks at a female elf was uncountable. How am I going to compete with that in the first place? Better to have him date Lily than some other random female elf, in my opinion," I said to all of them. "Think about yourself for once, Rose. Give yourself a chance. Test your luck and if it doesn't work out, then concede and continue to be his little sister," said Clara. "But I have already tried many times and it didn't work. What is the point of even trying further?" I said. "Mm-mm. You have not tried any of our ideas yet. I say you try all of our suggestions and then only you concede. How about that?" said Olivia. "Um.. ok, I guess?" I said. Why did I even say yes to that. *** I have a date with Lily today. Feels so surreal that I am meeting up with her after five years of her avoiding me. I have prepared my best looking clothes and waited for time to pass. I know I am feeling restless as I am literally walking around blindly. I screamed when Rose suddenly opened the main door. I didn't even know that she was coming over today. "Onii-chan, why are you acting so nervous?" asked Rose. "Oh, I'm just going out later. No worries," I said. Rose just nodded with a "Ooo" expression. Did she figured it out? It is really hard to keep things a secret from Rose. The only reason I was able to keep my gauntlets a secret was to leave it hidden in the chest and never talked about it. She started boiling some hot water and took out some flower petals from her bag. That's odd, she usually never bring anything when she visits me. She didn't even need to bring anything over as she still had her clothings and necessities here. Is she planning to stay here long? Not like she can't stay but I didn't felt like explaining to her that I am going out on a date with Lily later. She went into her room with her bag. I need to stop narrating to myself on whatever she is doing and just calm the hell down. Ok, just relax yourself. There is still a few hours before the meet-up time. Let's just read something or do some Alchemy. No, if I were to do Alchemy with such distracted thoughts I will be wasting the ingredients. Let's just sit down and meditate then. I heard Rose coming out of her room and proceeded to the kitchen. I continued to keep my eyes closed and did some meditation all the while hoping that Kirin doesn't suddenly appear in my mind. After some time, I heard Rose walking closer I spoke to me. "Onii-chan, have some tea," she said. I opened my eyes and wanted to take the cup and saucer from her. Hiee! What is she wearing?! Is that... a negligee? I can literally see her undergarments underneath! "Rose.. why are you wearing this at this hour?" I asked her. "Hm? Oh, I tried wearing this once and felt that it was comfortable to wear. You're not bothered by it, are you?" she said. "N.. no, I'm not bothered by it. You can wear what you wish," I told her. I didn't know how to reply to that. She even said it with a straight face. If she isn't bothered by it then I shouldn't let it bother me as well. I tried to ignore what Rose was wearing and focus on the tea she made. It is different than what she usually makes. I sipped the tea and was impressed by it. "Woah, what tea is this? It's really delicious," I asked her. "It is rose tea mixed with a little sugar and some lemon juice," she said. "Wow.. I never even knew such tea existed. I am definitely buying more of this. Who knew rose tea would taste so good," I said. Rose was taken aback by my remarks. I can see her blushing when her cheeks went red. But I wasn't complimenting her at all. I was just complimenting on the tea itself. She came over and sat by my side. I held back from looking at her. She was wearing something awfully distracting and it is not good for my hormones. There was a moment of silence between us. Such awkwardness. I stood up and thought of heading to the washroom to drench my face with cold water. Rose tugged at my shirt and gestured me to sit down. I complied and sat back down. What is going in her mind right now? Perhaps she might finally open up on what is troubling her before we even came back from the City of Underwater Marrydia. She held me face and turned it towards the direction of her face. I can see that she is embarrassed. Normal blushing does not make your cheeks so reddish. "Onii-chan.. you.. know, right?" she asked me. "Um.. I know what exactly?" I asked her. "A..bout.. my feelings," she said softly. Ah shit. Why must she bring this up on the very same day as my date with Lily? Will I even be able to enjoy my date later after this heavy talk? "Sorry Rose, feelings about what exactly?" I asked her to be more specific. Rose turned her back on me and clapped her cheeks with her hands. Not the bitch slap kind but more like the slap that wakes yourself up when you're feeling sleepy. Unless you are a masochist. She turned back to look at me and place her hands on my cheeks. Why do girls do this? "My feelings for you, onii-chan," she said with a more firm tone. She is more serious now. "I.. guess so?" I said to her. I am trying to dodge as much arrows as I can here. "You are not that dense, onii-chan. I am asking you seriously. Answer me properly. Please?" Rose gave a little plead at the end of her sentence. I sighed and took a deep breath. Whatever comes I will just have to face it. "Yes. I am aware of your feelings for me. Do we really need to talk about this today?" I asked her while giving her a pleading face. "Yes. I want to get this out of the way. You are going to see Lily later, right? I am sure she will be making her move as well," said Rose. What? Lily will be confessing to me as well? No.. it can't be. It is just our first date! "Alright, what do you want to know, Rose? I will answer as honestly as I can," I said to her. "Do you love me?" asked Rose. "As my little sister," I said. "You don't see me as a woman that you might date?" she asked. "I might consider it under different circumstances," I said. "Are you saying what I'm wearing now doesn't entice you?" she asked me. "If I were drunk then I might probably pounce on you," I said. "Are you saying I might stand a chance?" she asked me with sparkling eyes. "Uhhh.. Yes and no," I said. "Which is it?!" she shouted at me. "Look, Rose. You are still young. You are just thirteen. Perhaps when you're older then I'll give you a more proper answer. But until then, can you just be my little sister? Please?" I asked pleaded to her. "How much older do I need to get until you'll consider?" she asked me. "Umm.. sixteen and above I suppose," I said. "Lily will win you over by then!" she said while tears were appearing in her eyes. She started crying. I walked closer and gave her a hug while petting her head. "If it troubles you that much then I won't go out with Lily. I'll wait until you're sixteen then I'll give both of you my answer, alright?" I said softly to her while trying to comfort her. "No.. that won't be fair to Lily. I confessed to you and you rejected me," she said while still crying. "You'll still be my little sister no matter what, Rose. It is not the end of the world or something. Don't cry," I continued petting her head. Why won't she calm down today? After some time, she finally stopped crying. Phew, glad that is over. I looked at the hourglass and it was close to the meet-up time with Lily. I told Rose that I would need to go out soon. She wiped her tears and said ok. Please give Lily your honest answer. If you have feelings for her then do accept her. I'll be fine, said Rose. I quickly changed my clothes and head towards the main door. As I held the door know, I decided to speak with Rose properly before I leave. Rose, don't even think about doing anything stupid when I'm away. And never ever think about killing yourself. You will always be my little sister no matter what happens. And I will hate myself should anything bad happens to you. Promise me that, please, I said to Rose. I.. promise, onii-chan. I won't do anything stupid. Say hi to Lily for me, she said while retreating to her room. I am sorry Rose. I gave you my honest answer. Please find it in yourself to forgive your older brother. I headed out and rushed towards the location where I was supposed to meet Lily. I was surprised she suggested that we meet up at the townhouse of all places. I reached the location and looked for Lily. I hope I am not late. I looked around and I don't see her. Maybe I'm still early I suppose. Zen? someone called out to me from behind. I looked back and saw Lily. Woah, she is as stunning as ever. She was wearing a beautiful green dress that finally covered up her belly area. The number of times I swallowed my saliva when we were hanging out together in the City of Underwater Marrydia was infinitely uncountable. She braided her hair which hid her long ponytail. I'm surprised she actually kept that. Did an angel grace me with her presence? I asked. Oh, you and your compliments. Let's go, said Lily while she blushes. Where shall we go my eminent grace? I teased her. Let's go.. there, she said. I thought she had things planned out. I'm surprised to see you wearing your glasses again. I thought you preferred the other method you were talking about, I said. Oh, you meant the contact glasses. Well, those are better when I know that I'll be engaged in combat but it hurt the eyes after a while. And besides, a certain someone said that he only recognises me when I wear my signature' glasses, said Lily. It was only then that I realised that Lily's dress was showing an awful lot of skin on her back area. I was wrong, she certainly did not wear a more proper dress. Y.. your dress sure shows a lot of your back. Won't you be cold or something? I asked her. Well, I was hoping that I can capture the interest of the dashing guy walking beside me. And good thing he brought along his cloak, she said. Oh, this? I am just being cautious. I make it a habit to always be prepared for the worst. It is just a precaution for myself in the event I need to protect someone, I said. Is that someone being me? Lily asked. Of course I'll protect my angel, I said. Both of us started laughing. The conversation had a lot of sarcasm in it that we could not hold it in anymore. We reached the location that Lily was pointing to. It turns out she did planned something out. A gondola was waiting for us. The boatman gestured us to hop on board. I went in first and held out a hand for Lily to grab on to. She happily took my hand but she still slipped. I quickly grabbed onto her to make sure she doesn't fall. Seems like she is not used to wearing those shoes. Or did she? Maybe she purposefully slipped so that I'll catch her. We sat at the back of the gondola. Only both of us was on board. Lily cuddled with me as the boatman rowed the boat slowly. I did not even knew there was such a service in the city. The waterways and canals that was used to flow rain water out of the city has now turned into some romantic "river" cruise. This service must have been very recent as there is no way that I had never heard of about this before. We crossed by a few overhead bridges where people started looking at us. There were surprised that we were sitting on a gondola right here in the city. A few children and adults waved at us while we passed by. I smiled awkwardly as I returned the wave to them. The boatman was rowing very slowly. "Lily, why are people looking at us? Isn't this some service anyone can use?" I asked her. "Hm? What are you talking about? I made this specially for the both of us," she said. "What? You mean hired a boatman to bring us somewhere? How did you even thought of this idea?" I asked her. "I wanted our date to be special. Just sit back and watch," said Lily as she continued to cuddle with me. It was late evening by now when the boatman rowed us out of the city. He brought us to an area where there were it was kind of swampy. Are those.. mangrove trees? But it had clear sight of the sun as it was starting to set. Lily leaned her head on my shoulder and held my right hand while I leaned slightly over hers. So this was what she had planned for our first date. How am I going to find a better idea to top this up for our second one? Do I need to plan a trip to the moon? To be honest, I was never a romantic person. But seeing the sunset live with your eyes can certainly change your views. The sun was hidden now and it was getting a little bit darker. I assumed we will be heading back but the boatman just sat there looking towards the trees. Are we going to be safe here when it gets darker? Can he row us back safely? Just as I pondered on that thought, I noticed something flew across my vision. It was a spot of light. I was shocked by it and started looking around. More and more of those small floating lights started to appear. It was only then did I knew that it was fireflies. So many of them were flying around. No wonder we sat here waiting even though it was getting darker. Lily was looking at the fireflies with amazement. She was pointing around and said "Wow" several times. It was certainly wow' for me. This woman made such elaborate plans for our first date. I am speechless indeed. Lily noticed that I was looking at her. She looks really beautiful. I do not mind being able to date her. She is a keeper and a steal for me. As a certain ginger-haired man once said, she looks perfect tonight. I brushed some of her hairs that was out of place. She held my hand and moved closer to me. "Zen... I love you. Would you go out with me?" she confessed to me. I moved my face closer to her and whispered her name. I kissed her. Our lips entwine with one another. I felt like I shouldn't let go of this wonderful woman. I should cherish her and make her happy for the rest of my life. I want to be with Lily. But sadly, the image of Rose crying suddenly appeared in my head. I opened my eyes and gently moved Lily back. I looked down as I dared not look Lily in the eyes. She seemed to notice something was wrong. "Lily, I'm sorry, can you give me a bit of time? I want to think about it a little bit more, please?" I asked her while still looking downwards. "I... see.. it's Rose, isn't it? You didn't realised that you had feelings for her until now," she said. Damn it, I shouldn't have gave her the bracelet. "I'll give you an answer in a couple of days. I promise. Just let me gather my thoughts for now," I said to her. "Alright. Let's head back then," she said and gestured the boatman to bring us back to the city. I totally forgot the boatman was even here. Didn't he feel awkward seeing us kissing at the back? He took out a lamp and lighted it before he started rowing. "I'm really sorry, Lily. You planned such a perfect date and yet I couldn't give you an answer. I'm really sorry," I apologised to her. "Think nothing of it," she said. Yikes, her mood is not good now. And she used my own words against me. We were silent all the way back. *** We arrived back in the city. I thought we would say our farewell but she told me to follow her. I assumed that she would be in a bad mood by now but she looked normal. I should just follow her and not push it. We reached a fancy looking tavern and headed in. A table was already prepared for us. As we sat down, food immediately arrived. I looked at Lily with a speechless and pity eyes. She smiled at me and proceeded to eat. What am I even doing? This woman did so much on our first date and I made the mood sour because I was indecisive. Damn it, why did Rose even have to confess to me of all days. My mind is absolutely conflicted right now along with my heart. Yes, I love Lily, I won't deny that. But I might have some feelings for Rose as well, despite me trying to deny it for so long. I am not a liberty to have two wives. This is not a world unlike a certain MT story where I can have three wives. The food was delicious but I did not get to enjoy it. I was stuck in a big dilemma on who should I choose and what am I suppose to do. Perhaps I will need to talk a little bit more with Rose when I get back. After we were done eating, I walked up to where Lily was sitting and helped her up while holding her hand. I might not be able to return her love today but it does not mean I cannot treat her well. "Someone is being extra gentlemanly all of a sudden," said Lily. I just smiled at her and guided her out. I made sure to pay for the meal as it was the least I could do for today. She hugged my arm closely which made me feel her chest. Under normal circumstances, I would have brought her somewhere else by now. But I must hold back and get all these feelings sorted out first. We opened the tavern's door and was greeted by a number of soldiers. I was taken aback. Soldiers rarely interfere with adventurers unless they were major complains about them causing problems. Or is this part of Lily's plan to ensure that I say yes to her today? Since I sort of said no earlier, is she going to put me in prison and torture me until I say yes? I looked at Lily and she shook her head. Seems like she didn't know about this either. "Mister Zen, in order of the Queen, you are to follow us to the castle," said one of the soldier. "This late? Can this be postponed tomorrow or something?" I asked them. "Our orders are to bring you in as soon as possible. We cannot delay any further," said the soldier. "Alright then, I'll follow but only I am required, right? My partner can go?" I asked them. "What? Hey! I am following you as well. Bring us to the Queen, please?" said Lily. The soldiers just looked at each other and escorted us. I saw a few of them swallowing their throat earlier. She might not be mine now but none of you can touch her. I might not have my weapons with me but my gauntlets in my bag can fry or beat the living shit out of you should you do anything to her. But what is going on? Why the sudden escort? I doubt this is regarding my knighting to become a Dark Knight. Something else must be up. I held Lily closer to make sure she is safe as we headed towards the castle.