Chapter 281: Chapter 281 – “A… A-Astwa…? A-Astra! ASTRA!!”

The Valentine estate’s grand dining hall, usually filled with soft conversation and the clinking of silverware, was wrapped tonight in an awkward, suffocating silence.

Luca sat midway down the long table, fork in hand but appetite completely missing. He let out a slow sigh, staring down at the untouched food as a single depressing question echoed in his mind:

How… did it come to this?

He forced himself to look up.

At the head of the table sat Celestia — Empress of the Empire, ruler of nations, feared by demons and men alike — currently holding a tiny spoon in one hand and patiently feeding a giggling baby dragon in her lap.

A soft aahn~ and a delighted chirp followed as the dragonet opened her mouth for another bite, her little tail happily smacking the Empress’s arm in excitement.

Everyone stared.

Darian sat ramrod straight, still trying to act like this was completely normal while his eyes betrayed the chaos in his soul. Selene kept offering stiff smiles every time Baby Dragon made a cute noise, clearly unsure if she should laugh or panic. Kyle was pinching his own thigh to stop himself from losing sanity. Lilliane looked like her brain had blue-screened. Selena’s knife paused mid-cut, ears slightly twitching as though she was trying to compute this unfamiliar domestic scene. Aurelia… was glaring at her plate like it offended her very existence. Vincent and the elves simply watched — silently, unnerved.

Meanwhile, Luca just stared at the baby dragon, feeling a strange sting in his chest.

Why does she look so… happy with her?

Am I a bad dad already??

A sudden prickling sensation ran down his spine.

He looked up.

Celestia’s crimson gaze was already fixed on him — unreadable, piercing.

“What?” she asked calmly, voice so flat the table seemed to stiffen with it. “Do you want me to feed you too?”

Luca froze.

Brain stopped.

Mouth opened uselessly.

Did she… DID SHE JUST—?!

Before he could form a single coherent syllable—

STOMP!

Aurelia’s heel slammed into his foot under the table.

“—AH!” Luca’s soul nearly escaped his body as pain shot up his leg.

He shot upright, waving both hands frantically. “N-No! Nope! I can eat perfectly fine on my own!” he blurted, voice embarrassingly high.

Aurelia growled under her breath beside him. “Idiot,” she hissed, cheeks faintly red.

Silence returned…

UntilA sudden burst of laughter shattered the tension—

It was… Lisa.

Her bright, carefree giggles bounced off the marble walls as she leaned back in her chair, absolutely delighted by the situation. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to her, and for a brief moment, they all shared the same silent thought:

It’s so good to be a young kid…

Unlike the rest of them drowning in political anxiety and social embarrassment, Lisa had spent the entire day in her noble-lady etiquette lessons — sitting straight, speaking properly, acting like a refined young lady. Only after returning home did she finally begin to understand some of the scandalous whispers swirling around her brother…

The result?

She found the entire misunderstanding hilarious.

“Hahaha! Now I understand where Baby Dragon got her beauty and cuteness from!” Lisa announced proudly, beaming from ear to ear. “I always wondered how my brother could have a daughter like her…”

Luca stared at her.

Then at Celestia.

Then back at her.

Celestia’s face stayed perfectly composed… but the tiniest upward curl threatened at the corner of her lips.

She’s enjoying this.

She’s totally enjoying this.

Lisa grinned even wider, swinging her legs under the table with zero regrets.

“…Don’t you have something better to talk about?” Luca muttered, massaging his temples as though this dinner required more strength than a battlefield.

Lisa puffed her cheeks, offended just long enough to prove she had feelings — then brightened like she’d been waiting for this exact question.

“Actually, I do!” she announced triumphantly, pointing her spoon forward like a knight presenting a sword. “Why do we keep calling her Baby Dragon? She’s already growing, and she’ll only grow more! So how long are we going to keep calling her that? Shouldn’t she have a real name?”

The dining hall, already too big for comfort, plunged into a stunned silence.

Every pair of eyes — noble, heroic, ancient, and terrified — slowly turned toward the small figure perched in Celestia’s lap.

Luca stared.

…Why… why didn’t I think of that?

Selene set down her utensils with a serene nod, motherly pride softening her expression.

“Lisa’s right. A child should have a name. Something precious to call her by.”

The baby dragon blinked, startled by the sudden attention. Her tiny claws tightened protectively in Celestia’s dress as she peered up, crimson eyes glimmering with confusion.

“N… name?” she echoed in a fragile, hopeful whisper.

It was enough to melt the stone-cold awkwardness into warm anticipation.

Selene’s smile brightened like the sunrise.

“How about Luna? She descended beneath the moonlight, after all.”

Celestia didn’t even blink as she vetoed it.

“No.”

Darian cleared his throat, voice firm and imperial.

“Gloria. A noble name befitting the Empire’s honor.”

“No,” Luca said before anyone else breathed.

Lisa raised a hand with childlike seriousness.

“Yo! How about Dragolette—”

“No,” Luca and Celestia both cut her off.

Aurelia tapped her chin elegantly.

“Scarlett, like her eyes.”

Luca sighed. “That sounds like a villainess.”

“A strong villainess,” Aurelia muttered, offended.

Lilliane fidgeted shyly.

“Riri…?”

Cute. But no.

Kyle leaned forward, sparkling with mischief.

“Aurelia Jr..”

Aurelia slammed her hands on the table.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

Vincent straightened his back — knightly, noble, dramatic.

“Warbane.”

Everyone stared at him.

“…Vincent. Why would you ever name a child that?”

Sylthara placed a hand over her chest, voice dripping elegance.

“Princess Scales.”

No one even dignified that with a response.

Elowen’s gentle voice followed quietly.

“Leaf? Because it symbolizes new beginnings…”

“Too fragile,” Celestia dismissed — polite, but decisive.

Lisa, brimming with energy:

“TINY DRAGON OF CUTENESS!!!”

Luca turned to her slowly, soul exiting his body.

“…Please stop talking.”

Each name fell to ruin.

Yet the little dragon — delighted by being the center of the universe — giggled at every attempt, clapping her tiny hands as if all suggestions were masterpieces.

Finally, the only two who hadn’t spoken were left holding the weight of every gaze: Luca and Celestia.

Their eyes met — steady, unintentional, connected by the same unspoken realization.

Luca inhaled, steady and thoughtful.

“…A name that reflects both her heritage… and her new family.”

Celestia’s fingers stroked the child’s hair, tender in a way she’d never allow anyone to point out.

“A name born from the stars — and the dragons who once soared through them.”

Their voices merged — aligned without planning:

“Astra.”

Stillness.

Then Selene smiled — soft and full of hope.

Darian nodded — proud approval in his stern eyes.

Everyone murmured — yes, that fits.

It wasn’t just a name. It was destiny.

The little dragon — now Astra — tasted the word tentatively, tongue tripping over syllables:

“A… A-Astwa…? A-Astra! ASTRA!!”

With a squeal of pure joy, she launched herself into Luca’s arms like a tiny comet — plates rattling, tail whipping in delight.

Luca barely caught her, stunned by the force of her happiness.

Across the table, Celestia watched him with a look that wasn’t cold — not even guarded. Just quiet… and warm.

A home discovered without anyone realizing.

A name bestowed.

A life claimed.

A family — unintentionally — expanding.

She was no longer just the Baby Dragon.

She was Astra.

The newest Valentine.

And perhaps…

the brightest star that would one day change their fate.

Dinner ended in a haze of laughter, lingering tension, and one very excited little dragon proudly chanting her new name to anyone who would listen. The Valentine estate slowly quieted as candles dimmed and servants disappeared into the night.

Luca sat alone on his bed, the moonlight spilling gently through the window and painting silver lines across the floor. His room, large and luxurious by any standard, felt strangely unfamiliar tonight.

His fingers idly traced the edge of his blanket as thoughts chased one another in circles.

A name. We gave her a name.

A small, incredulous chuckle escaped his lips.

From a lonely boy in another world who ate dinner in silence and blended into the background…

To a young noble in a mansion, surrounded by a strange, chaotic, affectionate group of people…

And today—

Helping name a dragon child like a father.

It was absurd. Impossible.

And yet… undeniably real.

A warmth he wasn’t used to swelled quietly in his chest.

“…I’ve really come far, huh,” he whispered to himself.

“But I still have a long way to go.”

His eyes drifted to the twin sabers resting against the wall, glinting faintly beneath the moon.

The road ahead wasn’t a peaceful one. There were battles waiting, challenges looming in the dark. To protect everything he had now — his family, his friends, Astra — he needed power. More than what he’d gained so far.

Moonslayer… I need to master its next stage.

Just as resolve flickered across his expression—

knock knock

A gentle tap at his door.

Before he could respond, the door slowly opened. Soft footsteps padded over the carpet.

Celestia stepped inside, bathed in moonlight — regal even in the quiet of night — Astra curled comfortably in her arms, already half-asleep and nuzzling into her.

Her voice, calm yet strangely gentle, broke the silence.

“What are you thinking about?”

And Luca… froze.

Not because of the question.

But because of how easily — and unexpectedly — she asked it.

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