Chapter 132: Acceptance

Yerin’s grand announcement hung in the morning air of the dining room. Arms wrapped around my neck, her chin resting on my head, she waited for an explosive reaction.

Instead, silence met her declaration.

Mom, Dad, Yoona, and Val just stared at her.

"Hey!" Yerin pouted, her cheek pressing against the top of my hair as she let out an annoyed whine. "Why is everyone being so quiet?! I just announced my eternal, undivided love for Seth! You guys are supposed to be gasping or dropping your teacups."

Dad shook his head, setting his coffee down with a low, amused huff. "We were already sufficiently shocked when you declared to thirty million people worldwide yesterday that you were in love, Yerin. From the moment those words left your mouth, it required zero deductive effort to figure out who you were talking about."

Mom smiled warmly, leaning her elbows against the polished table. "Still, it is wonderful to hear it directly from you, dear. I must admit, I was surprised to learn you had fallen so deeply for someone. You’ve always guarded your freedom so fiercely."

Mom reached across the table, her gentle fingers stroking my cheek. Her dark eyes sparkled with playful pride. "Though... perhaps my son is simply that impressive."

"Oh, there’s zero doubt about that!" Yerin grinned, squeezing my shoulders tightly. "He completely stole my heart before I even realized what was happening."

Mom stepped beside my seat, gently taking Yerin by the shoulders. With a tender, motherly expression, Mom leaned in and pressed a soft kiss onto Yerin’s forehead.

"Welcome to our family, Yerin," Mom whispered. "You have already been like a daughter to me for years, but knowing you will officially be by Seth’s side makes my heart so full."

Yerin’s usual chaotic energy softened into something remarkably sweet. She let go of my neck, spinning around to throw her arms tightly around Mom’s waist. "Thank you, Aunt Alice... I’ve always wanted a Mom like you."

Dad watched the emotional embrace, tapping his fingers against the table thoughtfully. "Yerin... have you informed your parents about this development yet?"

Yerin pulled back slightly, shaking her head. "Nope! I wanted to tell Aunt Alice and Uncle Julian first. They’re the ones who actually care about me."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "And do you anticipate your parents accepting this arrangement smoothly? The main branch of the Rothschild family is notoriously rigid when it comes to marriage alliances."

Before Yerin could answer, Yoona let out a long, quiet sigh from her seat across the table. She smoothed her crimson hair over her shoulder, looking at her twin sister with a mixture of exasperation and affection.

"The little devil planned this entire sequence of events from the very beginning, Uncle Julian," Yoona revealed, her eyes sparkling with dry amusement. "There is a very specific reason why Yerin aggressively pushed to pull me into a relationship with Seth alongside her."

I tilted my head, looking over at Yoona. "What do you mean?"

"If Yerin tried to marry Seth alone as a rogue pop star, our parents would have thrown a massive political tantrum over status and family prestige," Yoona explained, leaning back gracefully. "However... now that Seth is officially engaged to me as well, he is bound to the future Head of the Rothschild family. As the husband of the family heir, Seth holds supreme standing. Even if our parents wanted to argue against Yerin’s match, their hands are completely tied. In fact... they will be overjoyed by the double alliance."

Dad let out a deep, gravelly grunt, nodding in agreement. "Ah. A clever tactical maneuver. Your parents prioritize influence, status, and power above all else. This arrangement completely satisfies their political ambitions while leaving them zero grounds to protest."

Mom chuckled softly, patting Yerin’s cheek before returning to her seat. "Well, Yerin did inherit their cunning genes after all. It is only natural she knows how to outmaneuver them."

I pushed my chair back slightly and stood up from the dining table. I looked at Mom and Dad with a warm, steady grin.

"So... that’s the good news I wanted to tell you guys," I said, resting my hands in my pockets. "And as a side note... I’ve officially decided that my Sovereign Deck is going to be populated exclusively by my wives."

PFT.

Dad let out a rare burst of genuine, amused laughter, shaking his head at my shameless declaration.

Mom’s dark eyes instantly lit up. Her jaw slightly parted before a look of absolute excitement washed over her face. She clasped her hands together, practically drooling at the sheer, glorious mental image of my grand plan.

"Oh, Seth!!" Mom gasped, her eyes shining with intense motherly glee. "That means... you are going to bring me so many wonderful daughters-in-law!! And that means... LOTS OF GRANDCHILDREN!"

She slammed both thumbs up into the air toward me, beaming with pure approval. "Mom approves of this plan 100%! You have my absolute, full support, sweetie! Bring me as many as you want!"

Yerin burst into a fit of breathless laughter, while Val blushed intensely, burying her flustered face in her hands. I chuckled, thoroughly enjoying Mom’s enthusiastic backing.

Then I remembered the practical matter at hand. I looked over at Dad. "Dad, Mom... speaking of the Sovereign Deck, I actually promised Val I would bind her as my first official cardholder today. But I don’t know the exact step-by-step ritual mechanics. Can you help us?"

Mom and Dad’s expressions shifted from playful banter to focused interest.

"Of course, Seth," Dad said, standing up from the head of the table. "A Sovereign Deck binding requires a spatial circle and specific runic catalysts to align your Sovereign Deck with her soul signature. Stay here. I will fetch the necessary materials from the inner vault."

Dad stepped out of the dining room, returning less than three minutes later carrying a sleek wooden box. Inside were powdered silver, compressed mana crystals, and a small vial of clear, glowing liquid.

Mom took the silver, walking over to the spacious, open marble floor near the center of the dining wing. With practiced, effortless grace, she drew two intricate, interlocking runic circles directly onto the floor, connecting them with a central line of silver script.

"Valerie, dear, stand in the circle on the left," Mom instructed warmly. "Seth, you stand in the right circle."