After that… domestic violence, Evelyn and Elizabeth went upstairs together, saying—very firmly—that they needed a "ladies' talk."
The tone made it clear that Daniel was not invited.
The moment they disappeared, the house fell into an uneasy quiet.
Jonathan broke it first.
He clapped Daniel on the shoulder, eyes shining with admiration.
"Daniel," he said reverently, "you are truly a role model. You did what all men dream of doing—and lived."
All men might want to be surrounded by women, but very few ever dare to try it. Not because of morals—but because women are frighteningly perceptive creatures.
If they realize they're being two-timed, things can turn dangerous very quickly. Most wouldn't go that far, of course… but some absolutely might.
"You can try it too, Jonathan," Daniel said, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You can't die anyway. Consider it… research."
Jonathan recoiled instantly. "Absolutely not. I can barely get one woman to look at me without filing a complaint. If I tried your method, I'd be slapped into another continent."
He sighed dramatically. "Not all of us are cursed with your ridiculous face, you know."
Daniel smirked. "Tragic."
Jonathan shook his head, glancing toward the stairs. "You're the real tragedy here. I've never seen Evy that angry before."
***
In the room upstairs, Evelyn sat across from Elizabeth, studying her in silence.
She had heard the whole story now—how it began, how Daniel dragged half the world into it, how everything somehow spiraled into this situation. There was no ambiguity about responsibility.
Daniel was at fault. Entirely.
And worse—Evelyn could see it.
Elizabeth's feelings weren't hard to read. She loved Daniel openly and unmistakably, and Evelyn could read it like an open book.
Evelyn closed her eyes and let out a slow breath.
"That idiot" she muttered, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "I really should smack him."
He really deserved it. He'd been gone for barely a week and had already managed to make another woman fall for him like this. If it had been a month… Evelyn didn't even want to imagine what kind of mess he'd come back with.
"Um… Daniel never said anything about you," Elizabeth said hesitantly. "He talked about his adventures—about fighting a mummy and all sorts of impossible things—but he never once mentioned that he was married."
Evelyn let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Of course he didn't," she said. "If he told people he was married, he wouldn't get the chance to fool around."
Elizabeth blinked, then nodded slowly. "…That's true."
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
"If this were normal," Evelyn said at last, folding her arms, "I would have beaten him and never even entertained this conversation." She shook her head. "But Daniel isn't normal. None of this is."
He wasn't entirely wrong about one thing—they were immortals. Over an endless stretch of time, even the strongest relationships could grow dull, worn smooth by years that never ended.
"You're… agreeing?" Elizabeth asked, shock plain on her face.
In her time, such things had existed among nobles, but here it wasn't normal—certainly not accepted. She had expected Evelyn to shut her down immediately, to tell her plainly that Daniel was her husband and that Elizabeth had no place even thinking about it.
The fact that Evelyn hadn't shut it down outright left Elizabeth stunned.
Evelyn exhaled slowly. "No. I just… thought about it," she said. "At this point, what can I even do? I know him well enough to know that once Daniel sets his mind on something, changing it is… difficult." She glanced at Elizabeth. "And I can't be angry at you."
Elizabeth blinked. "You can't?"
"You're a victim in this too," Evelyn said plainly. "If anyone's at fault here, it's him. So yelling at you would be pointless."
There was a brief pause. Then Evelyn's eyes sharpened.
"That said," she continued, "we can't let him think this gives him permission to fool around everywhere. Otherwise we'll both end up with constant headaches."
"…So what do we do?" Elizabeth asked.
"We have to be smart," Evelyn said simply.
She leaned in slightly and began to explain her plan.
***
"So," Daniel asked, glancing between them, already sensing danger, "what did you two talk about?"
Evelyn and Elizabeth exchanged a look—far too calm, far too coordinated.
"We decided," Evelyn said evenly, "that you should choose."
Elizabeth nodded. "Between us."
Daniel didn't hesitate. Not even a second.
"Of course I choose both," he said, face perfectly straight. Choices are for children. Adults choose all.
For a heartbeat, the room went silent.
Then—
Evelyn's eye twitched.
Elizabeth blinked. Once. Twice.
"…You didn't even think about it," Evelyn said slowly.
Daniel tilted his head. "Was I supposed to?"
Both women stared at him.
Then—very calmly—Elizabeth reached for the nearest vase.
Evelyn's, equally calm, picked up a sword.
They sighed at the same time.
Daniel blinked once. "…I feel like I may have misread the room."