My Taboo Harem!

"Princess," Phei greeted.

Jade placed her fingers in his. "Young Master, Phei."

"Careful," he said, smiling. "You will make the titles sound natural."

"Maybe they are."

"Dangerous thought."

"From what I have seen, you like dangerous things."

Phei laughed softly. "Only when they arrive beautifully princess."

Jade’s smile warmed.

Across the room, Nastya Romano watched that exchange with narrowed amusement, while Gianna leaned toward her and whispered something that made Nastya grin. Natasha Sinclair, standing near Clara Moreau, had also seen it, though her expression was more thoughtful than teasing.

Yuki Tanaka noticed the watching and smirked. "Subtlety is dying in this room."

Priya Kapoor glanced toward Phei, then away, failing to hide her own interest. "Can you blame them?"

Juliette Howard sighed. "No, which is irritating."

The princesses did not crowd him.

They were not foolish.

But the attention was there, layered beneath manners and greetings. Curious glances. Quick looks. The subtle turn of shoulders when he passed. Interest dressed as etiquette. Phei felt it but did not feed it directly.

Tonight had a different center.

Sierra arrived with Maddie.

Maddie stopped just inside the hall and looked around with delighted horror:

"Oh," she said. "This is gorgeous. Like an underworld wedding planner finally got funding."

Sierra laughed. "That is somehow a compliment."

"It is absolutely a compliment."

Phei walked over. "I was hoping for tasteful."

"You got expensive death romance."

"That may be better."

"It is."

Sierra leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "It’s beautiful."

Phei’s gaze softened. "Thank you my love." He kissed and looked at Maddie as if saying she would’ve been kissed too if she complemented him too.

Maddie poked his chest. "Do not get too proud."

"I am already too proud."

"At least you admit it."

"I am honest in my flaws."

"You are theatrical in your flaws."

"That too."

Delilah entered with Victoria, and for a brief second Phei’s smile changed.

Delilah saw it.

The red diamond bracelet on her wrist flashed beneath the silver light, and her eyes softened with the private memory of what had come before this birthday; she looked at him like she was still carrying the starry dome somewhere under her skin.

Victoria noticed.

Her gaze moved from Delilah’s bracelet to Phei’s face.

"You two look suspicious," Victoria said.

Delilah’s cheeks warmed. "We are not."

Phei said, "We are deeply innocent."

Victoria stared at him.

Delilah stared too.

Phei reconsidered. "Fine. Poor defense."

Maddie appeared from nowhere besides Delilah’s ears, because trouble had legs. "I want details later." she whispered.

Delilah’s blush deepened. "No."

Maddie grinned. "That sounded like yes with panic."

Victoria stepped between them. "Leave her alone."

Maddie leaned around Victoria. "Protective sister who wants the same treatment the baby sister just had. Cute."

Victoria’s eyes sharpened. "Try me."

Phei clapped once softly and reminded: "Birthday. Not battlefield girls."

Maddie sighed. "You ruin all the fun."

"I preserve furniture."

"That is your grandmother’s problem."

Maddie wisely pretended not to hear herself.

Emily Hartwell arrived with Maya Scarlett.

Maya’s silver softness looked almost unreal beneath the black and violet lighting. She paused under the ceiling and lifted her gaze, eyes moving slowly along the crystal strands, the floating silver orbs, the suspended flowers.

Emily beside her looked composed, but even she could not entirely hide her approval.

Phei approached them and hugged each with a soft press of his lips on theirs before pulling away.

"Maya Em."

Maya looked at him. "There are many hanging things."

Emily closed her eyes briefly in agreement.

Phei smiled. "That seems to be the official review."

"They are beautiful," Maya added. "But still hanging."

"They are secured."

"People always say that before something falls."

Emily murmured, "Maya."

Phei laughed. "I promise the hanging things will not attack you."

Maya considered him seriously. "Good."

Above them, Eira drifted closer, invisible to everyone except those who should see her.

Maya’s eyes did not move toward her but for one breath, Phei saw something almost imperceptible; a stillness and a quiet, too-soft pause, as if Maya knew there was something above them and had chosen, very deliberately, not to say so.

Phei did not catch it fully.

Eira did.

The little fairy’s smile thinned with warmth seeing her favorite girl in Phei’s women, she waved and Maya smiled back when Phei wasn’t looking.

Maya lowered her eyes back to Phei and smiled as if nothing had happened.

And Phei, because he did not yet know the full shape of that secret, only brushed a hand over Maya’s hair and let the moment pass.

Noor and Soraya arrived near the last edge of the gathering, with Courtney close enough to look protective without calling it that. They entered carefully, their beauty polished by formal wear but their bearing still carrying that slight hesitation of women stepping into a circle larger than their old life had prepared them for.

Phei moved toward them with a gentler smile, giving them space to settle before his presence swallowed the moment.

"Noor," he said. "Soraya. Courtney."

Noor lowered her head slightly. "Young Master."

Soraya’s smile was quieter. "This place is beautiful."

Courtney looked around. "It is... a lot."

Phei nodded. "Join the line, you’re two now who thought the same thing."

"I meant that politely."

"I accepted honesty, Courtney, thank you for accepting my invitation."She nodded.

Soraya’s lips twitched.

Yuki appeared beside them, because she had apparently appointed herself border control for nervous newcomers. "Come. If you stand by the edge too long, Maddie will find you and ask personal questions."

Soraya blinked. "Will she?"

"Yes."

Maddie shouted from across the room, "I heard that!"

Yuki shouted back, "Seeeee, she meddles?!"

"I like her so much!" Soraya and Noor said.

"We all do, we all do, dears." Yuki said and took them away.

Courtney looked at Phei: "This is your family?"

Phei looked around at the growing chaos with proud smile for what he’d managed to create. "Regrettably..."

Then he smiled. "And proudly I LOVE them."

Later, Roxanne arrived with Melissa, Mother, Diana, Adriana, Patricia, and Valentina not long after, and this time the room adjusted differently.