Return of the Mythic Bloodline

Chapter 495: Birthday

Today is the 7th of the fifth month of the year 1361. It has been fifteen years since I was summoned to Rukadvatta, a world of magic and monsters.

As soon as I was called forth by the previous king, I was burdened with the duty of protecting the Valtorian Empire from the endless horde of monsters overflowing from the wilds. The emperor advised me to conceal my gender. In this world, women were not meant to don armour or raise swords. Although the current Queen has since cast aside this misogynistic tradition, it was a very different era back then.

I was frightened, disoriented, and utterly alone in an unknown world. I had to do whatever it took to survive and to find a way back home. I trained until my hands bled, my lungs burned with expansion, and my bones cracked under the strain.

I locked myself inside a cage named Ezekiel Silverhart and kept fighting monsters, day after merciless day.

Each day spent here ate away at my soul and my identity.

And then I met him. A dubious knight. No matter how hard I struck him or how fiercely I cursed his name, he continued to melt down the walls I had built around my heart. I did not even realise when he had already shattered those walls and set me free from my loneliness.

Now, that dubious knight, Tristan Kale, is my husband.

Spending time with him, I, Celestia, came to understand that this world, my world, is not so bad after all.

---

"Mom, what you doin’?" A soft, hurried voice echoed through the dimly lit wooden room as Celestia lifted the tip of her fountain pen from the yellow page of a diary. The flickering flame of the nearby lamp cast gentle shadows across her face.

The voice belonged to a young boy, barely five years of age. He had short auburn hair and deep blue eyes like Celestia’s own. His name was Roland Kale, the son of Celestia and Tristan.

Celestia closed her diary, turned off the lamp on the wooden table, and rose from her chair. She walked to the entrance of the room, lifted Roland into her arms, and said with a soft smile, "Mom was writing. Do you need Mom’s help with something?"

"Dad got injured. He is calling for your help," Roland revealed, his small face pinched with worry.

The smile vanished from Celestia’s face. Her eyebrow twitched in alarm. "What happened? Where is he?"

"There is no time," Roland said, wriggling down from her arms. He grabbed her hand and ran toward the doorway. "You need to come quickly."

They moved out of the room. Their footsteps echoed across the wooden floor of the hallway as they hurried into the dark main hall.

"Why are all the lights off?" Celestia asked, her voice tight with concern. "Tristan, are you there?"

Her grip around Roland’s hand tightened, and her heartbeat quickened. A faint glow appeared in her blue eyes, ready to pierce the darkness.

But then the hall suddenly blazed with bright light and soft booms. Balloons and colourful ribbons decorated every corner. A gentle rain of sparkling paper and flower petals fell upon Celestia.

"Happy birthday, darling!" Tristan announced, kneeling on one knee before her with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Th-this is?" Celestia murmured, her confusion melting into wonder.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Roland said with a warm smile, tugging gently on her arm.

"Idiot, you scared the heck out of me," Celestia hissed, hitting Tristan on the hand. Her heart was still pounding from the sudden fright, but relief softened the edges of her voice.

She turned to Roland and muttered, pulling his ear, "Even you started teaming up with Dad on Mom."

Both Tristan and Roland kept smiling warmly at her even as they were being scolded. Their gazes held no trace of guilt, only affection and quiet amusement.

She released a sigh, accepted the flowers from Tristan’s hand, and murmured, a faint reddish hue blooming on her face, "Thank you. I didn’t even remember today is my birthday."

"Come and blow the candles," Tristan said, rising to his feet as he grabbed her other hand. His fingers intertwined with hers, warm and steady.

The family reached the table where Tristan began setting the candles on the cake. "How many should I light? Fifty?"

"Do you wish to receive a beating today as well?" Celestia hissed with a sharp glare.

Tristan flinched and silently placed thirty-one candles on the cake. He knew better than to push his luck further.

"Let’s blow them together," Celestia said, placing Roland on a chair while she and Tristan stood beside it, leaning over the table. The trio blew the candles together, their breath mingling in the soft glow of the dying flames.

Celestia cut the cake, first sharing a piece with Roland and then with Tristan. Of course, Tristan and Roland fed her the cake as well. They made sure to leave some of it on her cheeks, too, laughing as she tried to wipe the cream away.

"Thank you again," Celestia murmured, hugging Tristan. "But don’t scare me like that again."

"I’m sorry, hehe," Tristan chuckled, placing his hands on her waist. He gently kissed her on the lips while tucking her hair strands behind her ear. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting the warmth of the gesture sink in.

"Mom, I’m going to give this slice to Shiro," Roland announced as he ran outside with a cake slice on a plate. The door creaked slightly behind him.

"Wait, Roland," Celestia called from behind. "You can’t give it to Shiro. Sweets are poisonous to dogs."

"But Mom," Roland whimpered, turning back with pleading eyes. "He should also party with us."

"I will prepare something for Shiro," Celestia said, taking the plate from his hand.

"Then he will surely die," Roland whispered under his breath.

Celestia’s eyebrows twitched from his answer. "You disrespectful brat!"

Roland instantly bolted toward his father while announcing, "Father, Mom said she will cook for Shiro."

"What!?" Tristan exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror. "But Shiro didn’t do anything to deserve such punishment."

"Right, right," Roland nodded.

"Exactly! Even I barely survived your Mom’s cooking," Tristan nodded in response.

While the duo continued to throw one after another wild opinion, a long shadow slowly cast upon them.

"I think you both need some extreme disciplining," Celestia muttered, clenching her knuckles. The flickering candlelight caught the glint in her eyes, promising retribution.

---

Celestia opened the door of the house, and there, sprawled across the threshold, an unnaturally large dog slept soundly. He had long white fur that spilled over the whole entrance like a soft avalanche. At first glance, he seemed more like a dire wolf than a dog.

He had been found injured by Tristan on the borders of Monster Land as a puppy. Only three years had passed since then, yet the dog kept increasing in both size and intimidation.

Still, never once did Shiro bare his teeth at the Kale family. On the contrary, he had already carved an irreplaceable place for himself as the youngest member of the household.

"Shiro," Celestia called him gently, sitting beside him as she placed a large bowl of meat in front of him. "Today is Mom’s birthday. Look, Dad made your favorite pork meat stew."

Shiro opened his deep black eyes, his tail wiggling with drowsy delight. He raised his neck and began licking Celestia’s hand, completely ignoring the bowl.

"Oh, you’re wishing me a happy birthday," Celestia chuckled as she gently patted his head. Only after receiving a few gentle pats did he focus on the bowl placed before him. His tail began wiggling wildly as he caught the scent of his favorite dish.

He gave a light bark to Celestia, as if thanking her for the meal, before putting his complete attention on the food placed before him.

I continued watching from above, my translucent form hovering just behind her shoulder.

"She had everything here. A loving husband, an adorable son, and a cute pet," I murmured. "Whatever caused her to raise a weapon again and turn into a Death Knight."

The question had been bugging me ever since she married Tristan. Although her memories of those five years had been shown to me in fast forward and skipping mode, the one month I spent watching her was enough to conclude that she was not a bad person at all.

While I was lost in these thoughts, I never realised I was actually jinxing it.

Below me, Celestia changed into fresh clothes, grabbed a carry bag, and announced as she moved past the hall,

"I’m going to the market to buy some vegetables and bread. Prepare the dinner by the time I return."

"Yes, ma’am," Tristan replied in a low whimper, his hair dishevelled from the beating he had suffered at Celestia’s hands.

She released a sigh, moved closer to him, and kissed his cheek.

"Stop with the long face. I didn’t even hit you that hard."

She truly had not. Tristan simply loved triggering her motherly side.

"Be careful on your way, darling," Tristan replied with a wide smile.

"Be careful, darling," Roland said while playing with his wooden knight toy on the floor.

"Sure, sure," she chuckled as she closed the door behind her.