"Oh?" Erik reacted calmly, one eyebrow raised with curiosity.
Leila's reaction, however, was far more pronounced. "W— What?!" she exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you liked my brother!"
Sighing, Runa focused on Leila and shrugged wryly. "I do. He's a good man, and I enjoy spending time with him—"
"So what's the issue?!" Leila interrupted her with a sad pout, her fingers poking together nervously.
'She seems pretty invested in this,' Erik couldn't help but remark to himself as he glanced at his soon-to-be aunt-in-law. He filed that information away for later, and focused on his mother's answer. He was no less curious than Leila.
"Several reasons, actually," Runa shrugged, clearly not minding Leila's tone. She'd expected her to react like this, and continued explaining in a calm tone, her focus on Leila: "Although I guess they all boil down to me not wanting to be part of a harem."
"Eh?" Leila reacted with genuine surprise. She looked and pointed at Erik, blinking, "But…"
