Pov Luna Lestia:
"Haaaa..." The sigh escaped the Queen's lips as she watched Elara, who seemed to not understand why Aunt Arabella had bought Kylo a "fluffy one."
(I can imagine it... No, I know it for certain.) I was Queen and Duchess in my past life, so it's not hard to deduce.
You just need to answer this question: Why was I Queen in my first life?
"Elara, you were supposed to learn this when you were older, but I think it's time to give you a preview of the responsibilities of nobility," the Queen said patiently as she prepared to explain.
"Huh? Is it something political?" Elara frowned, surprised.
(There are only three recognized Stromcrests left...)
"The ducal house of the Stromcrests is going through a blood crisis."
"Blood crisis..." Elara repeated, confused and clearly unfamiliar with the term.
"It's a term that refers to the lack of heirs in a noble family, though in this case, it has a special nuance."
The Queen paused before continuing, as if evaluating how much to explain.
"Just take a look at the Stromcrests in detail. They are descendants of Idrilla, the thunder goddess, younger sister of the great goddess Celestia. Their surname reflects this: 'Strom' means storm, and 'crest' represents the peak of power, symbolizing the eternal pact between the two goddesses and their descendants."
Elara listened attentively as the Queen continued.
"Unfortunately, that pact has gravely affected the Stromcrests' descendants. Every time the kingdom goes to war, they are the first to be called to the front, serving as the kingdom's first line of defense. The price has been high: the bloodline is thinning."
"So..." Elara's mind processed the information.
"Yes, Elara, Kylo will have to start a large family one day."
(Let's return to the question: Why was I Queen in my first life?)
The answer is quite simple. I am the daughter of a Celestian princess.
The Celestian royal family has always offered their princes and princesses in marriage to ducal families. These houses, like the Stromcrests, become side branches of the royal family, and their descendants marry the princes and princesses of the next generation.
And why was I Queen? Because the original Celestia perished entirely, and the Stromcrests were wiped out completely. As for the other three duchies, in that generation, there were no marriages with the Celestians, leaving them at the end of the succession line.
I narrowed my eyes, remembering.
So, even if I had died at the beginning of the war or in the middle of it, there would have been some living Celestian descendant, excluding Lumine.
This is why young nobles are encouraged to have more than one descendant, to avoid these types of problems.
(Although illegitimates are a different story.)
From the memories of my two past lives, I know there is an illegitimate Stromcrest. However, his fate is sealed: he will die at the hands of his older sister, Anabella.
As for an illegitimate Celestian... I have no proof, but I have my suspicions. After all, one of Kylo's daughters, "Spectre," bears an uncanny resemblance to Elara.
"I see..." That was Elara, responding in a low tone, with reluctance.
Elara, finally understanding the gravity of the situation, fell silent, her face darkening.
It seems her feelings for Kylo have reached that point.
(It's time to act.) Seeing her state, I knew the moment had come.
I haven't forgotten that you, Elara, had a very close relationship with Kylo's assassin, so consider this karma from past lives.
As for that "fluffy one," let's hope it's useful...
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Pov Kylo Stromcrest:
Honestly, I never imagined this would happen so quickly...
(And much less that it would be mom who did it.)
"So, Kylo? Did you like the gift? Her name is Ellen, and I think I made a good choice. After all, she seems competent in spiritual arts and will surely be a good companion for you," my mother said while I was in shock, staring at the so-called "gift."
Fluffy animal ears, a soft, silky tail like a dog or fox, a resigned expression...
(No doubt about it...)
I slowly circled her, analyzing her appearance more closely just to confirm, but I was almost completely sure.
White hair and fur, crimson eyes. Although she's young, her features show she'll be a first-rate beauty. She wore a cute pink dress with straps and many decorative ribbons like gift bows.
Top 7 in the beauty ranking of Aerial Chronicles.
(Featured in the summer promotional art, where she displays her full beauty...)
Ellen, later named Ellen Nivis, one of the mid-bosses in Adelina's story.
(And probably the female character with the darkest backstory in the game.)
I'll just tell you she's of slave origin, and in the original story, she was bought by an imperial noble, and well... let's just say he did "everything" to her.
She managed to free herself by killing her owner and even managed to get a scholarship to the Continental Academy. Everything seemed to be going well for her, but no one comes out of those situations mentally sound, right?
Her downfall was meeting Adelina, an apparently perfect girl who hadn't gone through the hell she had.
And then, everything that usually happens in these cases followed: jealousy, rage, completely irrational actions, until she finally transformed into a tentacled fox monster.
I looked directly into her eyes.
Seemingly expressionless, but...
(I see contempt in her eyes... I guess that's only natural, right?) Her face couldn't fool my demon king senses.
I smiled.
Frowning.
I turned and addressed my beloved stepmother.
"I really like her, mom! Can I play with her?" I said excitedly, as I approached my mother to give her a hug.
Hug.
And she affectionately returned my embrace.
Head pat.
Head pat.
"Wait, wait, there are still a few things to get her completely ready. Anabella, why don't you go play with your brothers for a while?" This time, she referred to Anabella, who was standing right beside me.
"Mom, I..."
Piercing gaze.
"It's fine, come on, Sherry, Kylo."
(Although Adelina's story is pretty messed up in its middle part now, didn't I just gain a powerful ally?) I thought as I stopped hugging my mother and followed Anabella.
Now then... should I try something with my older sister?