Chapter Text
Owen and Khloe opened their eyes at the same time.
Wait a minute… where are we?
The thought echoed through both of their minds simultaneously.
The two looked toward a strange man standing nearby.
“Oh, thank the heavens!” the man cried dramatically. “To be born on such a blessed day, this must be a gift from the gods! They are destined to be wed!”
Owen and Khloe immediately looked at each other in confusion.
Then they froze.
…Wait.
Can you hear me?
The two stared at each other.
HOLY SHIT, Khloe shouted through their strange mental connection.
“What on earth is going on?” Owen asked internally, sounding completely lost.
“Like I’m supposed to know?” Khloe shot back. “Actually… wait a minute. This looks exactly like all those reincarnation stories we used to read.”
Owen paused. “…If we got reincarnated, then how did we die?”
“Hold on, hold on. Let’s retrace our steps,” Khloe said. “We were eating at the Femboy café, then we went for a walk…”
“…You ran across the street,” Owen added slowly.
“And then you ran after me.”
Silence.
“I think we got hit by Truck-kun.”
“…That actually makes sense,” Owen admitted. “I think my head got flattened by the tire.”
“Damn.” Another moment of silence passed. Then Khloe suddenly panicked.
“WAIT. Don’t tell me we have to go to school again. I’m not doing all that. I’m dropping out immediately.”
“Khloe,” Owen said carefully, “look around.”
Khloe glanced up.
Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Velvet curtains covered towering windows. Gold decorations lined the walls.
“…Oh my god.”
“I think we’re nobles.”
Khloe’s eyes widened.
“We’re rich?”
“I think so.”
“Rich equals money…”
A slow grin spread across Khloe’s face.
“…Money equals yaoi.”
“Please never say that again.”
“YOU CAN’T STOP ME NOW.”
"Actually if we went into the past there wouldn't be any yaoi."
"Must you bring up such devastating information at a time like this?"
Suddenly, a woman gently lifted Owen into her arms.
“Look at my sweet baby boy,” the Duchess said lovingly.
Khloe looked up just in time to see tiny baby Owen being cuddled dramatically.
Meanwhile, Khloe herself was still clinging to Owen’s sleeve like a feral cat.
“Aww, look at that,” a large, muscular man laughed as he picked Khloe up with one hand. “She’s already ready to become his knight!” Khloe blinked.
“…Wait.”
She looked down at her tiny hands.
“…Why am I so small?”
Owen stared at her.
“…We got reincarnated as babies.”
“…I hate this already.”
The moment the words “We got reincarnated as babies” left Owen’s mouth, both of them stared at each other in horror.
Then Khloe started screaming.
Unfortunately, because she was currently an infant, it came out as: “WAHHHHHHHH!”
“Oh no!” the Duchess panicked.
“She’s crying!”
“She must be hungry,” the large man said.
I AM NOT HUNGRY, Khloe yelled telepathically.
I’m having an existential crisis!
Owen, meanwhile, was trying to remain calm.
Okay. Let’s think rationally.
You say that like we weren’t flattened by a truck thirty minutes ago.
Focus, Khloe.
Khloe was still dangling in the muscular man’s arms like an angry potato.
“Her grip is strong,”
the man laughed.
“She really won’t let go of Young Master Owen.”
The Duchess smiled softly.
“It’s almost like she was born to protect him.”
Owen and Khloe both froze.
…That’s actually kind of creepy, Owen muttered.
I mean technically they’re right.
Please don’t encourage fate.
Before Khloe could respond, the doors to the nursery suddenly opened. Several servants rushed inside, bowing deeply.
“Your Grace,” one maid said nervously, “the court astrologer has arrived.”
“The astrologer?” the Duchess repeated.
An old man wearing dark blue robes stepped into the room dramatically. The second he entered, he gasped so loudly everyone turned toward him.
“H-Heavens above…”
The old man pointed at Owen and Khloe with shaking hands.
“The stars…!”
Owen immediately became suspicious.
Why do I feel like this guy is about to say something insane?
“The bond between these two children is written in fate itself!” the astrologer declared.
“One shall become the shield of the empire…”
He pointed toward Khloe.
“And the other shall become its mind.”
Then he slowly pointed toward Owen.
“Together, they will either lead this empire into a golden age…”
The room became silent.
“…or destroy it completely.”
Khloe blinked.
Damn.
We got lore already.
Why are you excited about that?
The astrologer suddenly dropped to his knees.
“They must never be separated!”
The Duke burst into laughter.
“Hah! Then it’s settled!”
Settled? Owen repeated nervously.
“We shall raise them together!”
WAIT WAIT WAIT-
“And when they come of age,” the Duke continued proudly,
“perhaps they shall even marry!”
The room erupted into delighted chatter.
Khloe went completely silent.
Owen noticed immediately. …Khloe?
A dangerous grin slowly spread across her tiny baby face.
Do you know what this means?
Why do I suddenly feel threatened?
If we’re nobles…
Khloe grabbed Owen’s sleeve again dramatically.
…then we can become rich, pretty boys.
“…I regret saving you from traffic,” Owen said flatly.
"Well you didn't do a very good job at that," Khloe said with a chuckle.