Gathering Wives with a System

Chapter 713: Explaining The Buff, Did You Propose?

"It’s a buff from one of my skills. It only works on people who have been eating crops grown by me for at least six months, so there’s nothing particularly strange about it," Isaac said.

Althea nodded without asking anything else. She did not question how the skill could have worked on Alice when six months had not even passed since Isaac’s Talent awakening, because she was probably smart enough to guess that he had entered one of the time-dilation Trials. Isaac was quietly grateful that she did not decide to investigate the matter any further.

Dinner eventually came to an end, and everyone gradually returned to their own rooms. Alice had said that she still had some work to take care of, leaving Isaac with Emily and Celia in his room.

Celia was sitting on the floor in front of the bed while Isaac sat on its edge, slowly massaging her shoulders. He had considered punishing her for the things she had said during dinner, but after thinking about it, he decided not to react at all. Celia practically lived for the reactions she got from teasing people, so if he stopped giving her the satisfaction, there was a good chance she would eventually become bored and stop.

Emily was sitting nearby with her eyes closed, quietly speaking to her spirits within her Soul Space. She looked peaceful enough that Isaac almost forgot she was listening to everything happening around her, although he knew better than to assume that Emily was unaware of their conversation.

After a while, Celia casually broke the silence and asked, "So, how did the proposal go with Alice?"

Isaac’s hands stopped immediately, and he remained still for several seconds before looking down at her with a surprised expression.

"You knew?" Isaac asked, his voice carrying genuine disbelief. He had thought he had managed to keep the entire thing secret, especially after sending Celia and Emily away earlier.

Celia turned her head and looked back at him with an extremely smug expression. "Of course I knew. How much time have I spent with you, Isaac? I can tell what you’re planning just by watching how nervous you become whenever you’re trying to hide something from me."

She shifted slightly while continuing to enjoy the massage. "Did you really think Emily and I were fooled by your excuses when you sent us away? We knew exactly what you were doing, but we were nice enough to give you some privacy instead of ruining the surprise."

Isaac stared at her, realizing that she was being completely serious. He then glanced toward Emily, who was still sitting with her eyes closed, although the slight movement of her eyelids made it obvious that she had been listening to everything. She was just acting as if she was not paying attention.

Isaac suddenly felt rather awkward as he looked between the two of them. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Do you mind that I didn’t propose to you first? I’m asking both of you, not just Celia."

Celia simply shook her head and continued letting him massage her shoulders. "You’re obviously only one person, Isaac, so it makes sense that you would propose to one person first and then propose to everyone else afterward one-by-one."

She paused before turning around with a mischievous smile. "Of course, you could have proposed to everyone at the same time if you used your clones, but if you had proposed to me using a clone instead of your real body, I would have had to...."

Celia raised her hand and made a small snipping gesture with her fingers while maintaining her smile. Isaac immediately felt a chill run between his legs, because he knew she was joking only to a certain extent.

This girl was always like this. She could be shameless and depraved enough to embarrass him without hesitation, but at the same time, she always made it clear that she wanted his genuine affection because they were a couple, just as she freely gave him all of her own affection.

Isaac knew that if he ever sent a clone to pick Celia up after she finished her work for the day, she would probably become annoyed with him immediately. She wanted his real body, not some substitute, and apparently the same principle applied to something as important as a marriage proposal.

Isaac smiled wryly at the thought. As depraved as Celia could be, she was also possessive in her own way, much like Alice and Selene, although each of them expressed that possessiveness differently.

Catherine might actually be the only one who was not particularly possessive, at least compared to the others. Even Emily had a possessive side, although she never overreacted about it and always listened to what Isaac wanted before making any decision.

Emily finally opened her eyes and spoke after remaining quiet for a while. "Actually, Isaac, I’m happy that you proposed to Alice first, so you don’t have to worry about whether I feel overlooked."

Isaac looked at her with some surprise. Emily gave him a gentle smile before continuing, "I know that I was your first, and you also proposed to Celia, Catherine, and Selene fairly quickly after you realized how you felt about them, but Alice was different because you had been hesitating about her for years."

She lowered her gaze for a moment as she thought about everything that had happened between them. "After the university started, both of you suffered because you thought your relationship had ended, and I know you’ve carried guilt because you weren’t completely honest with Alice before. So I think proposing to her first was your way of making up for that and showing her how much you really love her."

Isaac remained silent for several seconds because he had not expected Emily to understand his thoughts so clearly. He had never properly explained those feelings to her or anyone else, yet somehow she had managed to understand the reason behind his decision.

Eventually, a small smile appeared on his face. "You really know me well."

Emily’s cheeks became slightly red, but she nodded while looking away.