Monster Harem In The Tower

The silence that followed Emily’s words felt heavier than it should’ve. Married. Children. The kind of milestone Nathan never once pictured for himself—not after everything in the Tower.

Validia tilted her head, eyes flicking toward him with faint amusement. "Children, huh. You’d make a strange father, Nathan."

"...O-oi," he muttered, ears heating. "Don’t just say weird things out loud."

Sophia’s lips curved faintly, spoon tapping against the table. "Strange? More like completely unprepared. Can you imagine him holding a baby? He’d probably drop it."

"Excuse me?!" Nathan snapped, glaring at her.

Validia’s expression didn’t budge, calm and sharp. "At least he’s dependable enough to survive the Tower."

"Oh? Is that all it takes for you?" Sophia’s smile was sweet, but the edge in her tone was clear. "A man who just... survives?"

The air tightened instantly—two predators circling the same prey.

Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seriously... why are you two turning this into some kind of competition at the dinner table?"

"Because it’s fun," Validia said plainly.

"Because it’s necessary," Sophia countered, folding her arms.

For a moment, Nathan just sat there, caught between irritation and... a strange, guilty warmth in his chest. Two beautiful women, glaring at each other across his mother’s dining table, all because of him. His lips twitched. ...Not the worst problem to have.

Emily, oblivious to the silent sparks flying, clapped her hands lightly. "Alright, enough of that, all of you. Nathan, you’re staying here tonight. It’s been far too long since you slept under this roof."

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"Eh—"

"No excuses," she said firmly, her eyes kind but final. "Your bed is still here, isn’t it? Use it."

Nathan sighed in defeat. "...Alright, fine."

"Good." Emily’s gaze then turned to Validia. "And you, dear. Lilia, was it? You’ll stay too, of course. I won’t have a young girl walking home this late. We have a guest room."

Validia blinked, then slowly nodded. "...If you insist."

Sophia’s spoon paused mid-air. "Wait—"

Emily’s eyes softened instantly, noticing her niece’s faint stiffness. "Sophia, sweetheart, you too. Why don’t you stay over as well? It’s been so long since the house felt this lively."

Sophia almost choked. "W-what? Me too? No, I—"

"You’re dressed so elegantly tonight," Emily continued warmly, already rising from her chair. "That outfit isn’t for sleeping in. I’ll prepare some pajamas and bedding for the guest room. You can both share."

"Wait, Aunt Emily, I really don’t—"

"It’s settled," Emily cut in gently, her tone motherly but absolute. "The guest room is big enough for two. I’ll bring out extra futons."

Nathan froze, yogurt spoon still in his mouth. "...This is going to be a problem."

Validia’s lips curved ever so slightly, eyes glinting. "A night under the same roof. How quaint."

Sophia’s smile twitched, her jaw tight. "...Yes. How quaint."

Emily beamed, already bustling toward the hallway. "Wonderful. A full house tonight. Just like the old days."

Nathan buried his face in his hands. "...This is going to be hell."

But deep down, he couldn’t stop the stupid grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

----

Night fell quietly over the house. The guest room lights dimmed, and muffled sounds of Emily fussing over spare futons and pajamas had long faded.

Nathan lay awake in his old bedroom, the ceiling above unchanged since the days he left. The air smelled faintly of wood and laundry detergent—memories clinging to every corner.

He sat up slowly, eyes drifting across the room. The old desk, stacked with notebooks he never finished. A dusty trophy from middle school, back when people still praised him for "potential." Posters peeling at the edges, once hiding the cracks in his walls.

His chest tightened.

"...Damn."

He reached for one of the notebooks, flipping through scribbled half-essays, doodles, empty pages. All those years he wasted—running in circles, convincing himself he was nothing more than a failure.

His mother never stopped supporting him. No matter how many times he shut her out, no matter how many mistakes piled up, she stayed. Cooking, smiling through exhaustion just to make sure he never felt alone.

And what did he do? Hide. Crumble under whispers from others. Care more about strangers’ opinions than the love sitting right in front of him.

Nathan’s throat tightened, vision blurring. He bit his lip hard, shaking.

"...I was such a damn idiot."

His hands clenched around the notebook, knuckles white. He could almost hear his mom’s voice downstairs, cheerful, forgiving, as if the past year hadn’t been a living hell for her too.

He pressed a hand to his face, breath shuddering. The weight of it all pressed down on him—grief, regret, relief.

For the first time since leaving the Tower, Nathan felt like breaking down.

"...Sorry, Mom." The whisper cracked out of him, raw and quiet. "I’ll... I’ll do better this time."

The silence of the room swallowed his words, but for once, he didn’t feel completely alone.

Meanwhile, in the guest room...

The futons had been neatly laid out, pajamas folded at the edge. Emily had fussed over every detail before finally retreating, leaving only the faint scent of fresh laundry behind.

Now silence filled the space.

Sophia sat on the futon nearest the window, arms crossed, eyes flicking toward Validia on the opposite side. The air between them was taut—two rivals forced into the same cage.

Neither spoke. The only sound was the creak of the old house as the night deepened.

Then—three soft knocks at the door.

It creaked open slowly, and a small head peeked inside.

"Um... can I... maybe sleep here too?"

Lily. Her eyes darting between the two girls. Her voice carried a mix of hesitation and quiet longing.

Sophia blinked, caught off guard. "L-Lily? You have your own room—"

Before she could finish, Validia’s lips curved. "Of course you can."

She patted the futon beside her, crimson eyes softening in a way that startled even Sophia. When Lily shuffled in nervously, Validia reached out, pulling the younger girl gently into her arms.

Her hand brushed against Lily’s cheek, thumb tracing lightly as she smiled. "You really are adorable."

Lily froze, cheeks flushing bright red. "W-what are you—"

Validia chuckled softly, stroking her hair. "So warm... so soft... truly, you’re the cutest thing here."

Sophia’s jaw tightened. "...Excuse me?"

But Lily, flustered and confused, just sank into the embrace, muttering, "I-I’m not a kid anymore..." even as her face burned deeper.

Validia’s arms only tightened slightly, her expression unreadable—half amusement, half genuine affection.

And from across the room, Sophia’s spoon-sharp glare could’ve cut through steel.

Lily squirmed a little in Validia’s arms, her cheeks still flushed but her eyes sparkling. She looked from Sophia to Validia, then broke into a bright grin.

"You know... this feels kinda fun. Like I suddenly have big sisters."

Sophia blinked, caught off guard, then gave a small, gentle smile. "...Well, I’ve always been here, haven’t I?"

"Mmhm! That’s why it’s even better now," Lily said quickly, her twin-tails bouncing as she nodded. "With both of you here, it feels lively."

Validia chuckled softly, brushing her fingers against Lily’s cheek. "Then we’ll treat you well, little sister."

Lily giggled, hugging closer into her side. "Hehe... this is nice."

Across from them, Sophia watched the scene—her smile polite, but her gaze toward Validia sharp as a knife. Validia only returned it with a calm, knowing curve of her lips, never once letting go of Lily.

Lily snuggled into the futon between them, her wide eyes flicking curiously from one to the other.

"So... the Tower." Her voice was hushed, like she was about to hear a scary story. "What’s it really like in there?"

Sophia’s smile softened as she met Lily’s gaze. "Dangerous. Full of monsters, traps, and floors that never let you rest. Every day is survival."

Validia nodded, her tone calm but certain. "Yes. You fight, and then fight again. Morning to night, the cycle doesn’t end. That’s the Tower."

Lily’s mouth formed a small "o," both fear and awe in her expression. "Waaah..."

Sophia tilted her head slightly, then let out a faint chuckle. "Though I do remember hearing something strange about you, Lilia." Her eyes narrowed, her tone laced with subtle bite. "They say you have... a repair skill? Hard to picture someone who fixes things with mana actually fighting on the frontlines."

Validia’s gaze shifted toward her, calm but edged. "...Repairing doesn’t mean I can’t fight."

"Oh, of course," Sophia said sweetly, her smile sharp. "I just wonder which you’re better at—swinging a blade, or fixing a broken kettle."

Validia’s eyebrow twitched, but she forced her expression back to neutrality. Tch... repair, huh. I almost forgot that detail. But... good. That’s easy to handle. In my world, it’s one of the most worthless support tricks anyone can pick up. Nobody cared for it—barely above a parlor trick. That makes it simple to bluff.

Before the air could thicken further, Lily leaned in, eyes sparkling. "Wait, wait! So you can really fix things, Lilia? Like... anything?"

Validia blinked, then inclined her head. "...If it’s within reason, yes."

Lily’s face lit up, and she jumped to her feet in excitement. "Then can you fix something for me?!"

Without waiting for an answer, she scampered toward the door, twin-tails bouncing. "Wait right here, I’ll bring it!"

The door slid shut behind her, leaving only Sophia and Validia in the taut silence.

Validia exhaled quietly, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "...She’s lively."

Sophia’s smile didn’t waver, though her eyes sharpened. "She trusts too easily. Let’s see if you can live up to her faith."

The ticking of the wall clock filled the room, every second dragging as they waited for Lily’s return.

The door slid open again, and Lily came rushing back in, clutching something close to her chest. She plopped down between them and slowly unwrapped her arms.

It was a stuffed rabbit—its fur matted from age, one ear half torn off, stitches unraveling in several places.

"See? It’s been like this for a while," Lily mumbled, her cheeks puffing as she held it out. "Can you... fix it, Lilia?"

Validia reached forward, her fingers brushing over the worn fabric. The moment her hand closed around the rabbit, her gaze sharpened slightly. The texture, the age, the faint trace of long use—it wasn’t just any toy.

...This has been in this house for years. The energy clinging to it... old, familiar. Nathan’s.

Before she could speak, Sophia leaned closer, her lips tugging into a playful smile. "What’s this? A gift from a boyfriend, Lily? Did you get mad at him and tear it apart yourself?"

Lily’s eyes went wide, her face flushing scarlet. "W-what?! N-no! That’s not—!"

Validia’s lips curved faintly, her tone calm but cutting through the moment. "This isn’t from a boyfriend. It’s from Nathan."