Chapter 25: How did you meet?
Vergil felt a mix of complicated emotions regarding the simple gesture his mother was making by holding on…
Honestly, he had expected to be beaten with brooms, wooden spoons, and flying frying pans, or targeted by guided sandals that hit every throw, yet here he was, unharmed…
He was almost offering to take a beating… However, the woman's calculating gaze hit him, sending a shiver down his spine as she stared deeply at him, her expression just frustration.
Vergil glanced sideways at his wives, who seemed to calmly wait for whatever he was going to come up with for his mother…
'What the hell... They can handle this, right?' He thought, 'Well, if I fall, they will fall with me.'
'This should work…' he thought, before finally breaking the silence with a deep breath, Vergil began to speak. "Well, Mom, the truth is... we met online."
Felicia, his mother, raised an eyebrow, obviously expecting more explanation. "Online? And how exactly did that happen?" Her tone was tinged with skepticism.
Vergil felt a wave of nervousness.
'This is going to be difficult.' But before he could continue, Katharina, with her usual self-assured manner, jumped in, clearly determined to help him maintain the story, though she was genuinely amused by his reactions, after all, she would love to see her handsome husband's reactions.
"Yes, yes!" Katharina said, with her Russian accent that Vergil had never heard in all the time he had been with her. She stepped forward, as if completely at ease with the situation. "We all played the same online game. It was an MMORPG, you know, those where people meet and form groups. And that's how we met your son."
Felicia blinked a few times, trying to absorb what Katharina had just said. "You're telling me that you... played video games together? A Barbie-level princess like you plays video games?"
"Exactly!" Ada, the Asian-looking woman, said with a sweet smile, but her hands were gesticulating exaggeratedly, as if she were acting in a play. "That's how it all started. I'm from a guild in Taiwan, and Vergil and I became friends during several Raid missions. He was very skilled with swords." She acted it out, just like Katharina, even using terms like "Guild" and "Raid" to confuse the woman.
Felicia looked at Vergil with an expression that mixed surprise and... doubt. "Swords? But you never liked video games, Vergil."
He shifted on the sofa, struggling to maintain composure. "It's true, Mom. I started playing more while I was in college. It helps me relax, and I... well, I ended up meeting these three." He scratched his head…
'How could I not like video games? You banned me from playing GTA for being too violent, you old hag!' Vergil roared internally.
Roxanne, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward with a confident smile. "I'm from Europe, more specifically France," she said, with her European accent deliberately enhanced. "I was the strategist of our group. I believe it was my genius that brought us all together. Especially Vergil. He needed my help a lot." She tried to justify by giving more chances for his story.
"And then," added Katharina, "after many virtual adventures together, we decided to meet in real life! After all, why not? The internet connects the world, doesn't it? It was natural that we wanted to meet in person." She winked at Vergil conspiratorially, as if enjoying playing with the absurd story.
Felicia crossed her arms, clearly trying to process the flood of information. "So, you three played video games with my son. You're from different parts of the world, and then decided to... fly here and meet him in person?"
"That's right, mother-in-law!!" said Katharina, with exaggerated joy that, to Vergil, seemed forced but at the same time skillfully theatrical.
Felicia narrowed her eyes, observing the three women closely, as if searching for any cracks in the story. "And when did this start?"
Ada gave a light laugh, sliding her fingers through her hair as she spoke. "Oh, it's been a few months, almost a year. It was very natural. We chatted online, decided to visit Vergil's country, and here we are. All very simple and straightforward, I even study engineering with him."
"Simple and straightforward?" Felicia looked from Vergil to the three women, her expression alternating between bewilderment and disbelief. "You just decided to come here to... visit him? Isn't it a bit strange, considering you just met these women?"
"Well, Mom..." Vergil scratched his neck, trying to seem as casual as possible. "You know how it is. Sometimes you meet people online and end up forming a friendship. They wanted to travel, and... I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to meet in person. There's nothing strange about it."
Roxanne smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Exactly, Vergil. And that's not all! He is incredibly charismatic, even online. It was impossible not to like him right away."
Katharina nodded, continuing to elaborate on the lie with an almost theatrical expression. "Oh, yes! Vergil is a real hero in the game. He always saved us from the worst situations."
Felicia looked directly at her son. "You? A hero in a video game? I find that hard to believe."
'Am I really that bad at everything? Woman! At least compliment me on something! I'm feeling terrible here!' Vergil nearly shouted, seeing how his mother didn't take him seriously…
Vergil felt his face heat up. "It's true, Mom. I... well, I was good at the game. But it's just a hobby, okay?"
Felicia sighed, clearly not fully convinced, but continued to watch the three women closely.
At this moment, Roxanne decided to intervene once again, clearly enjoying the role they were playing. "And we didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet someone so special in person. It's not every day you find a man like that on the internet, right?"
Ada nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, he's one of the good ones. And, well... we are demonic, I mean, we have our own... lifestyles," Ada quickly corrected herself, though her hesitation went unnoticed by Felicia. "That's why we're all so connected to him.
And that's why we decided to do this crazy trip together."
Vergil nearly coughed when he heard the word "demonic," but quickly masked his astonishment with a fake cough, while Felicia looked at Ada with confusion.
"I mean, dynamic!" Ada quickly corrected herself with a nervous chuckle. "Dynamic lifestyles, of course."
Felicia still seemed skeptical, but the story was so absurdly crafted that she began shaking her head, as if trying to grasp the madness of it all.
"You are a... unique group, I admit," Felicia said slowly. "But then, you came from so far just to visit Vergil? And what do you plan to do now? Keep playing video games together or something? And if you only came here for that, why are you saying you're his wives?"
Katharina glanced at Vergil and quickly jumped back into the role. "Well, that depends on Vergil, doesn't it? I mean, going to Las Vegas and getting married wouldn't be so bad," she gave a playful smile and turned to him. "You don't mind if we stay a bit longer, do you? And who knows...
continue with our adventures." She said, smiling devilishly, and Felicia almost coughed at the malice in "our adventures."
'This kid… the look of these women, they seem like they're going to consume him! What are they? Crazy demons? By Buddha, what a situation…' Felicia thought, little did she know that, well…
'???' For a brief moment, everyone felt they were being watched.
Vergil felt his mother's gaze piercing his soul, as if she was trying to decipher whether all this was an elaborate ruse. For a brief moment, he thought she was going to question them further... until, to his surprise, Felicia burst into laughter.
"That sounds so absurd that maybe it's true." She shook her head again, clearly still confused by it all. "Three women from different parts of the world decide to come here and meet my son, the 'hero of an online game.' Honestly, that sounds like something that could only happen to you, Vergil."
Vergil, relieved, let out a timid smile. "I also thought it was strange at first, Mom, but... somehow, it worked out."
Roxanne smiled affectedly, tossing her hair back. "Well, sometimes the most absurd things are the most fun. Isn't that what they say?"
Felicia finally relaxed, though there was still a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "I don't know what to say. It still seems... unusual, to say the least. But if you're happy and it makes sense to you, who am I to judge?"
Vergil sighed with relief internally, feeling that, somehow, the absurd lie had passed. For now.
Katharina, Ada, and Roxanne exchanged knowing glances, clearly satisfied with how the situation was unfolding. They knew they had played their parts well, but how well their performances were received was another story.
Felicia looked at the three with a mix of curiosity and acceptance. "Well... I suppose I should get to know you better, right? After all, you three came from so far."
Roxanne nodded with a graceful smile. "It would be an honor, Mrs. Felicia. I'm sure we'll get along very well."
Katharina gave a cheeky wink. "We promise not to cause too many problems... at least not more than we already have."
Felicia sighed again, clearly accepting the madness of the situation. "Alright, Vergil. I'll trust you... for now."
Vergil finally relaxed, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.
His three wives were struggling not to laugh, but they hid it as best as they could, maintaining the theatrical seriousness they had adopted from the start.
Felicia stood up, clearly still processing everything she had heard, and walked toward the door. "I'm going shopping. Does anyone want anything?"
"Sweet treats," Vergil said with a smile. "And coffee," he added.
"Alright…" Felicia said as she left.
The three exchanged a quick glance, bursting into laughter. Vergil just shook his head, trying to hide his growing relief. They had managed to get away with it... for now.
"What the hell was that, fufufufufu!" Ada laughed. "Who were those three? HAHAHAHA They didn't even look like us!" Roxanne said, almost falling over from laughter. "Her accent, HAHAHAHAHAHA" Katharina laughed, pointing at Roxanne. "That's KAKAKAKA" They laughed while Vergil remained still, just watching...
'This is going to be a loooong life…'
-------
<Author's Note>
Hey, remember to use your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to help the work reach new heights!