The Extra's Rise
Chapter 686: Daughter (1)

Chapter 686: Daughter (1)

"At this point, we should make this a tradition," Rachel suggested with that particular smile of hers—the same one she’d worn when showing me a cage on her phone months ago. Which was to say, she wasn’t really smiling at all.

Currently, I found myself in one of the Imperial Palace’s more intimate living rooms, surrounded by Rachel, Seraphina, Rose, Cecilia, and Reika. Luna sat contentedly on my lap, humming a soft melody as she played with a small puzzle Cecilia had given her.

"We absolutely should," Seraphina agreed, her voice maintaining its usual cool composure despite the slight edge of exasperation. "Your pattern of reckless behavior has become remarkably predictable."

"We always end up gathering like this whenever he gets unconscious or disappears," Rose added, her tone carrying that deceptively casual note that meant trouble. "I suspect even when he reaches Radiant-rank, this particular habit won’t change."

Cecilia snorted with unladylike amusement. "That’s because he’s an idiot who thinks he can handle everything alone."

I turned hopefully toward Reika, the only one who hadn’t contributed to my verbal execution. When her violet eyes met mine, she immediately looked down at her hands with obvious guilt.

’Traitor,’ I thought despairingly.

’You did kind of deserve that one,’ Luna’s voice chimed in my mind with obvious amusement. ’Disappearing for a week without telling anyone? Even I could have predicted this reaction.’

"So," Rachel continued, her attention shifting to the little girl in my lap, "we need to discuss Luna’s situation."

Luna looked up from her puzzle, blinking at the assembled women with curious innocence. "What about me?"

"Well, sweetheart," Rachel’s voice softened considerably when addressing Luna directly, "you’re Arthur’s daughter now, which means you’re part of our family too."

"Our very large, complicated family," Rose added with a meaningful look around the room.

Seraphina observed Luna for a moment, her expression carefully neutral. "The logical conclusion," she said with characteristic directness, "is that Luna’s welfare becomes a shared responsibility among all parties invested in Arthur’s wellbeing."

"You’re our daughter too," Cecilia finished more bluntly. "All of ours."

I blinked in surprise. "Wait, hold on—"

"No objections," Rachel cut me off smoothly. "Luna is technically your first child, Arthur. She’ll be your first child for quite some time, given our current circumstances. That makes her special to all of us."

"Strategically speaking," Seraphina added, though there was the faintest softening around her eyes as Luna giggled at something in her puzzle, "ensuring Luna’s optimal development serves everyone’s interests."

"But," I said carefully, "you do realize we’re not even engaged yet? Any of us? This seems like getting ahead of ourselves—"

Five pairs of eyes fixed on me with varying degrees of exasperation.

"He raises a valid point," Seraphina conceded with clinical precision. "Legally, we lack standing to claim parental authority."

"Technicalities," Cecilia waved dismissively, though I caught the slight blush on her cheeks.

"Fine," Rachel said with the air of someone making a strategic concession. "We’ll table the official mother discussion until after marriages happen. But that doesn’t mean we can’t spoil her in the meantime."

"Extensively spoil her," Rose clarified, already reaching out to gently touch Luna’s hair. "She’s been through so much, and now she gets to just be a child."

Seraphina’s facade cracked slightly as she watched Luna’s animated expressions. "...She is rather small," she observed quietly, as if this was a purely factual assessment rather than an admission of finding Luna adorable.

Luna looked around at all the attention with wide-eyed wonder. "You all want to take care of me?"

"Of course we do," Reika spoke up for the first time, her voice gentle. "You’re precious to Arthur, which makes you precious to us."

"Furthermore," Seraphina added, her tone attempting to remain analytical even as her eyes lingered on Luna’s butterfly toy, "your current status as an ordinary child requires proper guidance and protection. It would be... inefficient to provide anything less than optimal care."

"I’m not adorable," Luna protested with eight-year-old dignity. "I’m a very serious person."

Seraphina’s carefully maintained composure shattered completely. The small sound she made was barely audible, but it was definitely the kuudere equivalent of a squeal of delight.

"...Ahem," she cleared her throat, desperately trying to regain her stoic demeanor. "That is... a very mature attitude, Luna."

This declaration, delivered while Luna hugged her butterfly toy to her chest, had the opposite of its intended effect on everyone else.

"Oh my god," Cecilia breathed, "she’s even cuter when she tries to be serious."

"The cost-benefit analysis of keeping her is overwhelmingly positive," Seraphina said with forced clinical detachment, though her voice was slightly higher than usual.

"I vote yes," Rachel said decisively. "All in favor of keeping Luna forever?"

Five hands shot up immediately, including Seraphina’s, which rose with mechanical precision despite the slight tremor in her fingers.

"Motion carried," Seraphina announced, attempting to sound official while clearly fighting the urge to smile.

Luna looked thoroughly confused by this exchange, but pleased by all the positive attention. "Does this mean I get five mommies when Daddy gets married?"

The question hung in the air like a carefully placed explosive. All five women suddenly found various objects in the room fascinating to stare at, their faces ranging from pink to deep red.

"That’s..." Rachel cleared her throat delicately, "that’s a conversation for much later, sweetheart."

"When you’re older," Cecilia added quickly.

"Much older," Rose emphasized.

"Significantly older, from a developmental standpoint," Seraphina contributed with forced academic precision, though her ears were noticeably red.

Reika just nodded emphatically.

I decided this was an excellent time to change the subject. "So, Luna, what do you think of your new room? Cecilia had it specially prepared for you."

Luna brightened immediately, thankfully distracted from the marriage implications. "It’s wonderful! There’s a big window that shows the garden, and Cecilia got me books with pictures of all different kinds of butterflies!"

"Educational materials are essential for proper cognitive development," Seraphina said, her voice returning to its usual cool tone, though she was clearly pleased by Luna’s enthusiasm.

"And there’s going to be more," Cecilia added. "We’re having art supplies delivered tomorrow, and Rose mentioned something about educational games..."

"I may have ordered a few things," Rose admitted with studied casualness. "Just some basic learning materials. And possibly some toys. And maybe some clothes. The shopping list got a bit... extensive."

"How extensive?" I asked warily.

"She’ll require additional storage space," Seraphina observed with clinical detachment. "The current room allocation may prove insufficient."

"Or possibly a separate wing of the palace," Rachel added with amusement.

I groaned. "You’re all going to spoil her rotten."

"That’s the optimal outcome," Seraphina said with perfect seriousness, then seemed to realize what she’d admitted. "I mean... ensuring adequate resources for child development is simply logical."

Luna giggled at the display, and I realized that despite the chaos and complications my love life represented, she would never lack for affection or support. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she would have a family that would protect and cherish her.

Even if that family was admittedly quite unconventional.

’You know,’ Luna’s voice whispered in my mind, ’for someone who worries about being overwhelmed by romantic complications, you seem to have ended up with the perfect solution.’

’How is this perfect?’ I thought back. ’This is incredibly complicated.’

’But Luna will never doubt she’s loved. And honestly, Arthur, when has your life ever been simple?’

She had a point there.