"Still, I don't think that should be the reason for such carelessness," Grandma Meldra said, coming to Celeste's aid, as she looked sharply at Orion. Unlike Celeste, she didn't have to worry about causing a predicament, as all the women were already aware of her character and respectable age.
"Even if the promise you made is so important that you don't want to break it in any way, you have to remember that if anything were to happen to your health, not only would you not be able to keep the promise, but your health would also be put at risk, which could be even worse than breaking a promise."
When she finished speaking, her eyes trailed over to Ingrid, who was still sitting quietly in a corner. Although they had already talked and let her know that the only issue they had with her was hiding the truth about her pregnancy, it seemed that she still hadn't returned to her usual self; otherwise, she would have been the first person to respond to Orion instead of remaining silent.
Orion nodded his head in understanding after listening to her words. A loud exhale escaped his lips as he responded, "I understand."
"If you understand, then make a promise right now that you will never put your health at risk because of a promise." Fiona-the-well woman suddenly said, surprising everyone in the room. She was the last person they had expected to speak at that moment, and her loud voice reverberated around the room, capturing everyone's attention.
Orion raised a brow at her words and wanted to respond, however, Fiona-the-well woman quickly cut him off and continued, "You have heard what she said," she pointed at Grandma Meldra, "Since you are so determined to keep your promise, then make the promise right here and now so that we can all be sure that such a thing would never happen again," she said, showing a firm resolve despite the fact that he had risked his life to save hers.
Although Orion was also surprised by Fiona's unexpected intervention, he nodded his head and took a deep breath before speaking loudly, "I promise everyone here today that I will never risk my health to fulfil a promise." He continued, "Is that all?" His eyes scanned the room as everyone let out a relieved sigh before he finally locked eyes with Fiona.
Fiona-the-well woman nodded her head, "That's all." Her gaze softened, and there was a hint of appreciation in her eyes as she acknowledged Orion's commitment.
Realizing that she indeed had capable women in her new family who could handle such situations, Celeste exhaled in relief and smoothly moved on to the next topic, "Although I believe that every one of your partners or women who are pregnant for you is in this hut, apart from Ursa, do you have any others that we should be aware of?"
Listening to her question, Orion faked a cough and awkwardly replied, "Her mother."
Celeste and a few other women widened their eyes in surprise before she asked, her voice tinged with doubt, "Her mother is also your partner?"
"No," Orion shook his head in disagreement, "She is also pregnant with my child," he said. Although he had plans of eventually making her his partner, for now, he would have to wait and see how it all played out.
"Her mother is also pregnant," Celeste repeated, feeling her eyebrows twitch as she started to doubt if her son had the capabilities to care for so many pregnant women and their children. It seemed as though he wanted to rebuild a whole village!
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Celeste exhaled deeply before responding, "Very well. Grandma Meldra and I will go and visit them tomorrow. We can bring them to the farm so that they can understand the situation and we can all get to know one another."
"No need," Orion immediately responded, shaking his head once more, "I have already told them to come to the farm tomorrow, so I am sure that they will be here by then on their own."
Meanwhile, at the side of the room, Grandma Celia leaned in close to Derry's ear and whispered, "Once this is over, we are also going to have our discussion." She then shifted over to her left and whispered the same thing into Vivian's ear, adding, "But I'm a little disappointed that you were also involved."
Grandma Derry considered using her gift to vanish into the soil below her, but she ultimately sighed in defeat, knowing she would face questions from her hut mates after the meeting. She was prepared to explain that she had no choice but to accompany Orion, as letting him go alone would be even more concerning.
On the other hand, Grandma Vivian simply smiled thinly and brushed it off, feeling that nothing else could ruin her day after what had already happened, except for Derry's earlier actions.
After settling the matter of how to introduce Ursa and her mother to the family without overwhelming them, Celeste instructed Orion to let everyone know the order in which they had joined the family and become pregnant. Orion nodded, organizing his thoughts before he began to explain.
"Well, as some of you already know, my first partner is my mother, Celeste," Orion said, observing as his mother slowly and happily raised her hand in the air, causing him to pause. "Since not everyone in this room knows each other, I think it's best that we all raise our hands to identify ourselves once you hear your names," Celeste added, her hand still raised as she tried to hide the wide smile that threatened to show her delight at being her son's first partner, showcasing the closeness between her and her son.
All the women nodded in understanding, eager to hear the rest of Orion's words. "Ahem! As I was saying," Orion continued, "Sura is my second partner."
Sura raised her hand with enthusiasm, but as all eyes turned towards her, she hesitated and slowly lowered it back down, feeling slightly embarrassed.
