"Allow me to make the introduction. This is Sofia, the daughter of the tavern master I often mentioned to you. Sofia, meet my first younger brother, Wakahiko," I said, presenting Sofia to Wakahiko with a gracious gesture.

"Greetings... My name is Sofia... I am delighted to meet you, brother Wakahiko," Sofia replied, her voice tinged with a hint of shyness.

"Hi Sofia, I'm Wakahiko. Since you're my older brother's wife, you can just call me Wakahiko," my brother beamed, misinterpreting the situation.

"Bu... but I..." Sofia attempted to clear the misunderstanding, her cheeks turning rosy with embarrassment.

"She's not my wife, just to be clear," I interjected calmly, wanting to avoid any further confusion.

Upon hearing my response, Sofia seemed to pout, displaying a hint of dissatisfaction for some unknown reason.

"Mother is inside. Come on in," Wakahiko kindly invited us into the house.

Curious about Sofia's reaction, I leaned in and whispered, "What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing," she replied, turning her face away from me, seemingly unwilling to meet my gaze. How complicated her emotions can be.

As we crossed the threshold of our home, my mother's cheerful voice welcomed us.

"Oh, Takahiko, you're back! This journey seemed longer than usual. Did something happen?" Her eyes then fell upon Sofia by my side. "And who might this young lady be?"

"Greetings, ma'am. My name is Sofia. It's a pleasure to meet you," Sofia curtsied gracefully in greeting.

"You're the daughter of the tavern master in Goldkorb, the one Takahiko often spoke about, right? It's lovely to finally meet you, dear," my mother approached Sofia, taking her hands gently and regarding her with a warm smile. "I am Takahiko's mother, my name is Ayumu. Takahiko has shared stories about you with us, and we've all been quite curious."

Sofia looked surprised. "He did? What kind of stories did Takahiko tell?" she inquired, eager to know more.

"Mother, I understand your excitement, but I think we should let her rest first. We just arrived after all," I interjected, wanting to spare Sofia from the prying questions.

"Oh, my, you're right. I apologize, dear. Come, please have a seat here." My mother led Sofia to a chair in the living room, which also served as our dining area for meals.

The warmth in my mother's reception put Sofia at ease, despite her initial flustered state. My heart softened as I watched the interaction between the two of them.

Wakahiko returned to his original task of cutting the woods, preparing the items for cooking and heating. Meanwhile, I scanned the area, seeking another young brother I had yet to encounter.

"Where's Kunihiko?" I inquired.

"I'm not sure, dear. Lately, he's been going out and returning just before dinnertime. He said he's researching something," Mother replied while preparing a refreshing drink for Sofia.

"I see. I hope he hasn't been neglecting the homework I assigned him," I said with a sigh, taking a seat beside Sofia as Mother settled in front of us.

"So, when will the ceremony take place?" she asked Sofia, continuing her line of questioning. Not again.

Sofia appeared confused, tilting her head. "What ceremony?"

"Your two wedding ceremonies, of course. Considering Takahiko's age, and my other sons being able to take care of themselves, now would be the most convenient time for Takahiko to start building his own family. Isn't that the reason why Takahiko brought you to this house?" Mother responded happily.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"EEH?!" Sofia gasped in realization.

"It's the seventeenth person now," I dejectedly commented on yet another misunderstanding.

"What do you mean?" Mother asked me.

Disregarding Sofia's flustered and blushing state, I began to explain to my mother. "Wakahiko and Kunihiko will be pursuing their dreams this year, leaving you alone. Remember how you mentioned wanting to do some work rather than sitting idle at home? Well, I've arranged for you to work at the tavern in Goldkorb. I already received approval from the current tavern master, and all that's left to do is pick you up. But Sofia here is curious about our home and village. Since the trip will only take about a week, madam has already granted her permission to accompany me, and I see no reason to deny her wish."

"I... I'm sorry for being a burden to your family," Sofia said anxiously, apologizing.

"Oh, no, no, my dear. You are most welcome here at any time. I realize now that I misunderstood the situation. I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, Miss Sofia," my mother gently replied.

"Besides, Sofia is like a younger sister to me," I casually stated, intending to clear up any misunderstanding between us. However, to my surprise, Sofia seemed dejected for some reason.

"Anyway, Sofia can stay in my room tonight. I guess it needs to be cleaned up a bit," I added.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Your room has always been kept tidy. We may need to move some items since we've been using it as a temporary storage area, but it won't be much work," my mother reassured.

I turned to Sofia and apologized, "Will that be okay, Sofia? I'm sorry you have to endure sleeping in my small room."

"Oh, no, don't worry! I'm the one who insisted on following you, so I'll sleep anywhere available," Sofia explained, trying to put my concerns at ease. I'm proud of her.

"I'm home.." Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the room as Kunihiko returned. He carried a bag with mysterious contents, drawing everyone's attention to him as he entered through the main door.

"Welcome home, brother Takahiko. It's been a while since your last return," my mother warmly greeted him.

"Hi, Kunihiko. Glad to see you well," I replied. Unlike Wakahiko, who had honed his physique, Kunihiko appeared unchanged.

"Oh, is she.." His curious gaze shifted towards Sofia, who stood by my side.

"Not my wife, okay?" I interjected sharply, hoping to prevent any further assumptions.

"..your girlfriend then?" Kunihiko playfully teased, offering a different possibility.

"No, she's not," I responded, trying to spare Sofia from any unnecessary embarrassment.

"Oh, in that case.." Kunihiko dropped the bag he was carrying and approached Sofia briskly, seizing her hands. "Miss, if you don't mind, would you like to have tea with me and get to know each other?"

"!! I.. No.. I.." Sofia stammered in panic, taken aback by my playful brother's sudden flirtatious approach.

"Stop it. She's uncomfortable," I intervened, rapping Kunihiko's head lightly to put an end to his prank. While Wakahiko was more serious and reserved, Kunihiko was the playful one, always ready to make new friends and engage in light-hearted banter.

"But, that's such a shame, brother Takahiko. She's a great catch, you know? Her face is cute, and she has a charm that will invite desire from men to protect her. From what you told us about her, she's younger than me by a year, right? I think her future figure will be promising," Kunihiko casually commented on Sofia's appearance.

"Kunihiko, while I agree with your observations about her, I'm concerned about where you learned to talk like that," I retorted.

"Stop it, you two!" Our mother swiftly delivered a strong whack to our heads. "I did not raise the men in this household to become creepy beings who see women as mere objects! Both of you should know better."

We both endured the pain of motherly discipline. "Never talk about females in such a disrespectful manner again, understand?!"

"Yes, mam," we both replied, feeling duly scolded.

Amidst the banter, Sofia, who had been quietly blushing, couldn't help but smile and chuckle. She seemed amused by our family banter.

"Sorry for the disrespectful behavior of my sons, Sofia," Mother apologized on our behalf.

"No, don't worry, mam. Your family seems fun. I don't have siblings at home, so it's enjoyable to see how you all interact with each other," Sofia replied with a hint of envy in her voice.

"Is that so? If you feel alright with it, you can marry Takahiko and become part of this household. You two seem close already, and I'm sure it will work out just fine," Mother suggested, leaving me speechless. What was she thinking?

"If you're fine with me, I will be glad, Mam," Sofia replied with a surprisingly bright face. My heart skipped a beat. Why was everyone suddenly so eager about this idea? Maybe Sofia was just too tired to argue and decided to play along. As long as she didn't feel uncomfortable, I guessed it was okay.

"The dinner's ready... Oh, hey Kunihiko, you're back already?" Wakahiko, who had been absent earlier, had already prepared dinner for us without being told. He was always so attentive.

We proceeded to set the table and seats in the living room. I caught a glimpse of Sofia's expression, and she seemed more relaxed now, thanks to my mother's gentle care. It wasn't hard to understand why; after all, this household was filled with boys, and perhaps my mother longed for a daughter, since the loss of our youngest sister in the past. My brothers, well, it didn't require any explanation; they clearly enjoyed Sofia's presence here as well. We gathered around the table and enjoyed our dinner with delight and gratitude.