Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 236: Permission and Pendants

Permission and Pendants

”Tsubaki,” she welcomed, her tone sleek and composed. She then cocked her head slightly. ”And...?

The second woman moved closer with a gentle rustle of material, her face alight and beguilingly familiar. Her silver-blue gown hugged her body with careless sophistication, with intricate embroidery that shone softly in the morning light. Silken locks of pale silver-white hair fell down her back to her waist, glinting like moonlight with each movement.

Sona’s breath hitched as she drew in the sight before her.

The girl’s complexion glowed soft and full of life like youth itself, and her face was a striking resemblance to her own—but it was the bright ocean-blue eyes filled with knowing mischief that unmistakably proved it.

She smiled, and her voice sounded so sweet.

”Morning, Mom,” Lira said on a teasing note, her head cocked slightly in that all-too-familiar manner.

Sona felt her world slow.

It was Lira.

Her daughter.

Her only daughter.

The words weren’t necessary to be said—they hung suspended between them, thick with unspoken feeling. She was every inch the royalty she was destined to be, standing tall and confident in her impeccably cut gown, her bearing regal and playful at once. The glint in her eye suggested amusement, as if she well knew the reaction her arrival was provoking.

But that wasn’t what disturbed Sona most.

Lira... was awake.

And not just awake—she was dressed, shining, and overflowing with that gentle, teasing strength that seemed to cling to her like sunshine after a storm. An unusual vision at this time of morning. A more unusual one after the night previous, when the palace had resonated with music, wine, and laughter until the stars themselves had started to dwindle.

Sona blinked, softly absorbing the surprise vision. Her daughter, normally requiring coaxing, complaints, and even gentle threats to get out of bed before noon, now stood in front of her chamber door as if this were just normal behavior.

So what had roused her from slumber?

That quiet question hung on the peripheries of Sona’s mind as she stood outside the door of her chamber, her countenance serene, but her mind still trapped in the fog of dawn. Her body retained the weariness of a night not spent sleeping, but wrapped around passion—Leon’s heat had hardly dissipated from her skin, his fragrance still attached shyly to her.

She forced herself upright, posture regal as ever, even as fatigue tried to pull her back to bed.

At Lira’s side was Tsubaki, as still and solid as a sword pulled from its scabbard. Over six feet tall and standing imposingly in polished ceremonial armor, she was the very epitome of loyal protector. Her dark eyes scanned the room with silent watchfulness, and her tightly coiled hair further contributed to her disciplined demeanor. She radiated order and restraint. Compare that to Lira, who radiated like the very dawn—bright-eyed and full of subtle naughtiness, the playfulness in her eyes already roused.

The quiet rasp of metal preceded Tsubaki’s graceful step forward. She offered a respectful bow, her voice smooth and even.

”Good morning, My Queen.”

Sona nodded dimly, her speech lagging a beat behind her mind. ”I... ah... morning, dear. And morning to you as well, Tsubaki.” She composed herself quickly, smoothing out her features with a practiced smile. Her eyes went to her daughter, interested. ”Lira, what’s the matter with both of you coming here? And you’re up so early?”

She couldn’t quite hide the shock completely—this was not in the morning package.

She watched her daughter with stunned silence. Lira, the night owl, and notorious for her sleeping habits, particularly after nights out. She was usually sprawled in bed, sheets of silk wrapped around her, indifferent to sun or summons.

But here she was. Awake. Pretty much put together. Eyes glinting with mischief—as if she was privy to some information her mother wasn’t.

Lira smiled wickedly; her voice dripping with amusement. ”I know, shocking, right? But yes, Mother, I woke early today.”

She laughed and playfully nudged Tsubaki’s arm. ”By the way, we’ve been standing here for five whole minutes. I was two seconds away from making her break down the door.”

Sona’s breath caught, a slight crack appearing on her poised expression.

Her smile remained, albeit a little harder to hold. How could she possibly explain that she’d just barely managed to escape from Leon’s arms—and bed—seconds before? That her legs had almost buckled leaving the room?

But on the surface, she was steady.

”Ah, nothing exciting,” she said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear with the air of a practiced ease. ”The banquet last night drained me more than I’d thought. I must have overslept.”

Lira cocked her head, eyes narrowing to look at her mother’s face. Her eyes were slightly puffy, a faint flush still on her cheeks. She didn’t push the question, but her eyes held for an extra moment before she murmured ”Hmm,” and appeared to drop it.

Tsubaki, though, remained silent. Her expression was more subdued but attentive, darting faintly over Sona’s face with subdued thought. There was something in her eyes that hinted she saw more than she revealed—but, as ever, she spoke not a word.

Wishing to redirect the conversation, Sona straightened slightly, her attention drawn away. Her eyes caught the pendant just above Lira’s collarbone—a small, shimmering bit of jewelry against her daughter’s skin. Simple. Classic. But unmistakably familiar.

Her eyes narrowed. She recognized the craftsmanship.

The fine silver beading, the sweeping curve of its setting—it was almost a replica of the pendant Leon had presented to her a little while ago. The only variation was in the centre of the gem. Whereas Sona’s gem glittered in pale violet tones, soft and enigmatic like dusk on the border of sleep, Lira’s shone with a bright, peaceful blue. It held the chill serenity of moonlight skimming across a lake without ripples—dignified, restrained, and inescapably lovely.

”Hmmm,” Sona whispered, her tone tinged with love and quiet interest. Her quiet yet probing gaze rested on the pendant at her daughter’s neck. ”That necklace... where did you acquire it?”

Lira tracked her eye, and then smiled as her fingers rose to brush the charm that lay lightly against her collarbone. It was warm on her skin. ”Oh, this?” she said carelessly, the edge of her mouth tilting. ”It was a gift. Leon and his wives gave it to me last night. Rias was the one who gave it to me, but she told me Leon picked the stone out himself.

Sona’s eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly. Her heart made a small, quiet throb.

Two pendants.

One for her.

One for Lira.

He had planned this out.

Her daughter’s voice intruded softly on her reverie, full of effortless joy. ”And the gem,” she held it up to the morning light, ”it’s the same color as our eyes, isn’t it, Mom?

Sona’s eyes rested on the rock, then shifted to Lira’s face—so radiant, so alive. Her nod was slow, deliberate. ”Yes... it is.”

Hanging forward slightly, Lira’s voice was tinged with a touch of pride, as if she was telling a secret, one that they shared. ”Didn’t you wear one yesterday too? The one with the purple gem?

A warmth bloomed beneath Sona’s breastbone—soft and unexpected. There was something deeply personal in the way Lira said it, as if she’d just uncovered a thread of connection she hadn’t noticed before.

”You’re right,” Sona said quietly, her voice touched with wonder. ”It does suit you.”

Lira cocked her head, observing her mother intently now, as if knowing there was more to the story than met the eye. ”Wait—so you also have a matching one? Duke Leon gave you one too?”

There was only a moment’s hesitation before Sona replied. ”Yes, dear. He had gifts for each of us. For you, for me...” She paused, and then went on softly, ”even for your father.”

Lira blinked, nodding politely at the king’s mention—but her gaze stayed there for only a moment. Her attention was back on the necklace, and her smile was even wider, like a girl who’d just discovered her favorite tale in a book.

”See? He matched us,” Lira cooed with a soft laugh, clearly thrilled. ”He gave us twin pendants! Isn’t that cute?”

Sona permitted herself a soft smile—small, but real. ”Maybe.

The room quieted into a short hush, punctuated only by the soft rustle of curtains and the dying sound of laughter. It was a pleasant moment, one that Sona would have let continue, but she was still the Queen—and curiosity bubbled beneath her calm exterior.

With a fluid movement of her stance, she directed a glance at the always-silent Tsubaki.

”And what are you two doing here so early this morning?” Tsubaki opened her mouth to answer, but Lira rushed in instead, her voice cheerful but slightly hasty.

”I was here to take her with me,” she stated, then hesitated before tacking the additional sentence on. ”We were here to request permission.”

”Permission?” Sona repeated, raising an eyebrow of elegant shape. ”For what, precisely?”

Lira touched the back of her neck, then was suddenly bashful, a stark contrast to her usual self-assurance. ”I was thinking of going to Duke Leon’s manor today. Rias asked me over for breakfast, and... I’d like to meet her. And the others as well.”

She put her hands behind her back, her silver-white hair reflecting the gentle morning light.

”To dine at Duke Leon’s manor. With Rias and the others. May we?”

Being a princess, Lira didn’t very often get to venture outside the palace without an official permit. All visits outside the palace grounds needed to be sanctioned formally—either by the King or the Queen. It was the way of things, something she’d learned in her upbringing. So she’d come herself, knowing very well it would need her mother’s permission.

Sona blinked once, silently weighing up her daughter.

She didn’t feel anything out of sorts—yet. Rias and Lira had always been inseparable, more sisters than friends. Rias was Leon’s adopted child, and Lira had looked up to her for years. It wasn’t so strange that she wanted to spend time with her.

Still... there was a peculiar enthusiasm in her tone. A faint sheen to her eyes that Sona hadn’t overlooked.

”Please, Mother?” Lira pressed gently. ”Just for a few hours.”

Sona exhaled softly and gave a faint nod, her expression relaxing.

”Very well,” she said. ”You may go.”

”Thank you!” Lira’s face lit up. She leaned forward to press a kiss to her mother’s cheek, her voice dropping to a whisper. ”Go back to sleep if you’re tired, okay?”

”I will. Have fun, dear.”

Lira nodded rapidly. ”All right, Mom,” she smiled and then turned to go.

Sona gave a brief nod to Tsubaki, who bowed silently, eyes modestly cast down.

The two young women turned wordlessly and disappeared down the hallway. The echo of their heels resounded softly against the highly polished stone, rhythmically light and slow.

Sona remained silently at the door of her room, observing them depart. Lira’s silver locks glimmered under the gentle caress of the morning sun, and next to her, Tsubaki glided like a quiet shadow—always calm, always alert.

Their footsteps slowly receded into the distance, submerged in the palace hallway. Only when they vanished around the bend did Sona quietly close the door.

Gently.

With a deep breath.

She leaned against it for a moment, the silence settling around her again like an old robe. One hand remained on the smooth wood. Her eyes dropped. She breathed out.

Silence.

Then—

A faint rustle from beyond the curtain.

Leon emerged, half-covered in the crumpled bedsheet, tied loosely at his waist. His bare chest reflected light; gold skin mapped with thin lines of muscle. Bed-tousled hair ringed his face, and although his eyes were still heavy with sleep, there was a spark of wicked mirth in them.

Sona spun around, arms crossed loosely under her chest.

”You overheard everything, didn’t you?”

Leon gave a lazy smile, a corner of his mouth rising with quiet smugness. ”Hard not to, behind that curtain. Your daughter’s sharper than you give her credit for.”

”She’s her mother’s child,” Sona said, brow rising with faint pride.

Their eyes met—hers cool and unreadable, his warm and teasing.

They both smiled.

And without another word, she moved toward him. Wordless. Steady. Certain.

Leon reached for her hand without so much as thinking, his fingers touching hers as instinctively as breathing.

This time, she didn’t draw back.

She stepped into his arms.