The morning sunlight slowly slipped through the gaps in the curtains draping the large windows of the Arvin Vedegra mansion. One by one, the residents of the estate began to awaken from their deep slumber.
Today was the day the absolute truth about their husband would be revealed. This held especially true for Arion.
Amidst the unfolding morning routine, a sudden fluctuation of mana rippled through a corner of the room. The air hummed softly as a purplish-black gate tore through the space.
Kylen stepped out from the gate, but his eyes immediately widened in shock, greeted by an entirely unexpected sight.
Before him, stood Arvin, welcoming him with a serene smile.
"D-Darling..." Kylen stammered slightly, his eyes sweeping over his husband from head to toe to confirm what he was seeing. "...is the one at the inn your real body, or your clone?"
"My clone." he answered, his voice flowing calmly.
"Since when?"
"Since last night, right before I infiltrated the Victoriaz Kingdom's palace."
Though a brief wave of shock crept into his heart at such a reckless move, the bluish-white-haired youth ultimately couldn't hide his overflowing relief and happiness.
He felt profoundly relieved and overjoyed. Arvin had kept his promise to his spouses, mastering the cloning magic for the sake of their happiness.
...
Sometime later, in the lounge situated on the second floor of the mansion, all of Arvin's spouses had gathered.
As Kylen finally took a seat on one of the empty sofas, everyone's attention shifted entirely to the lone figure standing in the room.
Arvin chose to remain standing, allowing himself to be the focal point of the thirteen pairs of eyes currently staring at him.
Arvin's gaze swept over his spouses one by one. He looked closely at each face, each pair of eyes, ensuring they were all ready to hear what he was about to say.
To all youths in the room, time seemed to slow down. Their hearts pounded, anticipating what kind of extraordinary truth the man standing before them had been keeping so tightly guarded.
"Although this diverges from my original plan, since Elenora and Savin haven't been picked up yet..." Arvin finally spoke, beginning his confession before all of his spouses. "...I have no other choice. I don't want to see any of my spouses feeling anxious to the point of losing the smiles I so deeply cherish, simply because of a secret I have yet to reveal."
Hearing those profoundly meaningful words from the head of the family, Arion flinched slightly.
The reddish-yellow-haired youth immediately lowered his head. His hands gripped his own trousers tightly above his thighs. A wave of guilt instantly struck his chest. He knew very well that those words were directed at him. He was the one who, just last night, had pressed his husband to reveal something that perhaps wasn't meant to be said yet.
Seeing Arion suddenly lower his head, a very gentle smile slowly formed on Arvin's lips. He didn't blame his spouse in the slightest for the intrusion. To him, Arion's curiosity and worry were merely expressions of deep love.
"Arion..."
Hearing his name called, Arion slowly raised his head. He looked at his husband's face with an expression full of guilt.
However, all he saw was a gentle, deeply soothing smile.
Seeing the tender smile etched on his husband's lips, Arion understood exactly what he needed to show in return for such extraordinary affection. He returned it with a sincere smile that radiated immense relief from the very bottom of his heart.
That smile from Arion made Arvin feel truly relieved. In his eyes, his spouse looked even cuter whenever he smiled.
Once he was certain there were no longer any heavy burdens weighing on Arion's heart, nor anyone else's, Arvin refocused on his initial intention to tell all his spouses the truth.
"Honestly..." Arvin began, unveiling the secret he had kept tightly guarded for so long. "This body belongs to Arvin Vedegra."
His spouses listened intently. Yet, some of them felt confused by what sounded like an incredibly obvious statement.
Of course that was Arvin Vedegra's body.
However, his next sentence changed everything.
"But in truth, the soul inside it is not."
The faces of all the youths in the room reflected an even deeper sense of sheer bewilderment at their husband's revelation. The concepts of reincarnation and transmigration were completely foreign to them.
Although their minds were swarming with countless questions they wanted to voice, not a single one of them dared to interrupt. They chose to remain quietly seated, continuing to listen until the head of the household finished his explanation.
Seeing that they remained calm and willing to listen, Arvin continued, his tone now sounding a bit more nostalgic.
"Before my soul resided in this body, I lived in a place called Earth." Arvin stared into the distance, as if the shadows of skyscrapers and asphalt roads were flashing before his eyes. "There, magic is considered nothing more than myth and fantasy by most people. In my previous world, magic doesn't exist. The only things driving the progress of civilization are science and technology."
Every youth in the room gasped in shock, their eyes going wide. The very idea of a world without magic left them utterly astounded.
And what astonished them even more was the fact that the soul inside Arvin Vedegra came from a foreign place entirely devoid of magic.
Observing the expressions displayed by all of his spouses, Arvin could only offer an understanding smile. The presence of someone with a soul from another world would undoubtedly be a massive shock to anyone who heard it.
Arvin let them digest that insane piece of information for a few seconds, before finally breaking the silence once more with a truth that had always been the greatest mystery even to himself.
"But, I don't even remember who I truly was in my past life. I don't know what my name was, or what my face looked like. The only things I remember are the fact that I once lived on Earth, and my knowledge of the storyline taking place in this world, which came from a game."