Meanwhile, Kenshin headed to the recreation room, where he found an unusual scene. Kasumi, Natsumi, and Aya were arguing with each other about which game to teach Makoto first.
"S-sir!" Makoto exclaimed in surprise and stood up from the table.
"No need to be afraid of me; relax and rest," he said with a smile, stroking her head. He really liked the transformation of this small, skinny girl. After taking a bath and changing from simple linen clothes to a cute blouse with a heart and black home pants, Makoto was unrecognizable.
"Kenshin, tell these two that if they barely mastered D&D, it doesn't mean everyone else is as stupid. I'm sure little Makoto will easily master this game and surpass Natsumi in a week!" Kasumi declared proudly, approaching him, hugging him, and unable to resist reaching for Makoto's small head to gently stroke it.
Seeing Kenshin hug Kasumi back and then lightly kiss her on the lips, Makoto blushed strongly and almost sank through the floor from embarrassment. All this time, she had considered the master to be Kasumi's father, and seeing his transformation during dinner, she hadn't yet had time to think about this detail.
"Okay, let's not embarrass the girl even more," Kenshin said and sat down in the empty armchair at the head of the table.
"I don't think an innocent kiss between husband and wife can embarrass a sixteen-year-old girl," Kasumi said with a light chuckle and sat on the armrest, missing her husband's affection.
"A-are you the master's wife?" Makoto asked in shock. Although this thought had been circling in the back of her mind, she was still very surprised.
"Not only her; we are all his wives," Natsumi said and elegantly walked to Kenshin's armchair, then sat on the opposite side from Kasumi.
"Ah! A-all of you…?" Makoto exclaimed in surprise. Even the most ridiculous assumptions were far from the fact that all these women were the master's wives. The young girl's brain was so overloaded that she just blinked, looking at the smiling Kasumi and Natsumi.
"Why are you so surprised? You'll become his wife soon too, right, Kenshin?" Aya said with a fox-like smile, taking a place behind him and hugging him around the neck.
"Stop it, girls. Don't listen to Aya; she's joking," Kenshin said with a light smile.
"Don't you like little Makoto? Good food and a little time will make her a very beautiful girl," Kasumi said. Just half a day ago, she would have twirled her finger at her temple if someone told her that such a proposal would come from her lips, but now she really wanted Makoto to become a full member of the Nakayama Family.
"Ahem… It's not about that; it's just that Makoto… She's still just a child. Besides, I'm not going to force her to become my wife," Kenshin replied. He hadn't expected such a conversation on the very first evening and was a little embarrassed by his cunning wives' slyness.
"A child? Even if she looks like a little one, she reached marriageable age three years ago. Let's ask what she thinks herself. Makoto, do you want to become Kenshin's wife?" Kasumi said authoritatively. She really didn't like beating around the bush, so she decided to take a risk and ask directly.
"I… I'm not worthy…" she whispered and began to cry. That was the only thing her trembling lips could say.
"Why did you decide that, Makoto?" Kenshin asked affectionately and, with an effort of will, lightly pushed the two wives off the armchair, using telekinesis to pull the crying black-haired girl to him.
When the crying Makoto ended up on his lap, Kenshin focused all his available empathic powers on transmitting calm and peace. In the case of Makoto's raging emotions, tactile contact was necessary, and Kenshin didn't remove his hand from her small head, gently stroking her short black hair.
"I will disgrace you, sir. You gave me a new life, and I don't want your noble name to be tarnished by marriage to a rootless commoner!" Makoto blurted out in one breath, suddenly stopping crying.
"I don't care what the feudal lords or various clans think. As soon as you become my wife, even Takahiro will be obliged to show you respect and shamelessly wag his tail. When our Nakayama Family gains even more power, even the great clans of Konoha will have no choice but to joyfully recognize Hitomi and Kasumi as my wives," Kenshin said authoritatively, stroking Makoto's miniature back.
Due to the strongest empathic influence, Makoto at that moment completely lost her shyness and fear, so she looked Kenshin straight in the eyes without blinking.
"Do you really want Makoto to become your w-wife?" she asked. Even the empathic influence couldn't extinguish the flash of shyness when Makoto thought about marriage.
Like most girls, Makoto had dreamed since childhood of marrying a kind and handsome man. With each year, this desire only grew until her native village became a battlefield between Konoha and Suna shinobi, and after the battle, the victorious Konoha shinobi took her as a trophy.
Because Makoto's home village was not in the Land of Fire, the Konoha shinobi had free rein, and finding a barely alive girl with awakened chakra in the completely destroyed village, they were only glad of their luck and sold her to the Kimura family.
"To be honest, I planned to postpone this question indefinitely, but since two cunning foxes decided to take the initiative," he said and properly spanked Kasumi and Natsumi on the butts, then continued: "it seems we should discuss it right now. Tell me, Makoto, do you want to become a full member of the Nakayama Family and gain the status of my wife?" Kenshin asked seriously, looking into the young girl's unblinking brown eyes.
"Y-yes, sir…" Makoto whispered with bated breath.
"Good!" Kenshin said resolutely, and suddenly an interactive selection menu appeared before the girl's eyes.
[Do you agree to become the wife of the Patriarch named Nakayama Kenshin and give your life and fate into his hands?]
Makoto looked at these lines in surprise and, only thanks to the empathic influence, perceived what was happening with a cool head. There were only two answer options—"yes" and "no"—and the girl, without thinking long, made her choice.
[Yes]
Her eyes closed for a second, and a whole storm of emotions swept through her head. Opening her eyes, she first looked at Kenshin's face and smiled at him with a warm smile. All fear, doubts, and awe before the "master" instantly flew away, replaced by absolute peace and inexhaustible happiness.