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[
The fog was dissipating, revealing the ash-filled valley that stretched for miles. Heading toward it was a lone warrior, carrying his trusty shield and sword. After so much time, effort, and sacrifice, he had finally reached his last obstacle before rescuing what he yearned for the most. —I suppose.
A boy with white hair and piercing eyes saw a silver-haired woman in the distance, a victim of the heavy chains that bound her.
The woman slowly opened her eyes, recognizing the warrior's silhouette from afar. "Tonnura..." she said with a barely audible voice. —In fact.
The warrior let out a deep sigh of relief; she was still alive. "Mother," he said with immense affection. "I have come to rescue you."
The warrior approached with hurried steps to free his mother, but was abruptly stopped by her.
"Stop, Tonnura," the woman warned. "That... that thing is here. Flee, my son. Live for me."
The words that left the woman's mouth made the brave warrior's blood run cold.
"I have no intention of leaving you here, mother," he replied, burning with fury. "I already failed dad once, I don't plan on losing you too. So I will finish that abomination and put an end to this!"
]
"Wait, I'm dead?"
"Silence! Let me do my job, in fact."
[
Continuing...
The woman, upon hearing him, let out a slight smile full of maternal pride. "You are just like your father."
At that precise moment, all the earth standing between the warrior and his mother began to tremble violently. An amalgam of blood-like fluid began to emerge from the ground, and with it, chunks of rotting flesh began to rise, merging with one another amidst horrifying sounds.
]
"Hey! Don't you think that's a bit exaggerated for someone his age?"
"Don't interrupt me or I won't do this again, I suppose!"
[
Cough, cough. Continuing...
The flesh merged to form a gloomy and bizarre humanoid. The warrior glared furiously at the creature.
"I have come to rescue my mother... and to put an end to your life... Straghess!" the warrior declared.
The creature roared with a force that shook everything around it and lunged at the warrior, materializing a sort of staff that it used as a weapon to attack him.
The warrior dodged the monstrosity's sudden attack with difficulty. He gripped his shield and sword, and charged.
"I'll finish you!" the boy shouted. And what followed was a long and arduous battle between the two.
Fush. The warrior rolled nimbly across the ground, dodging a lethal sweep of the staff powered by blood magic. The beast raised its weapon, unnaturally delaying the next strike to deceive his instincts, but the boy maintained the stoic calm of a veteran.
Pam. At the precise moment, the warrior deflected the fierce attack with his shield, achieving a perfect parry that completely broke the monstrosity's stance, leaving it exposed and stunned.
Taj. Taking advantage of its lowered guard, he gripped his sword with both hands and landed a critical and devastating blow directly to its core.
"Ahhhhh!" the beast screamed in pain. Little by little, it lost power and size until it vanished.
The young warrior ran over to his mother to free her, melting into a beautiful and touching embrace between mother and son. They prepared to leave that gloomy place. However, when both turned around, they couldn't believe their eyes.
"Impossible..." the silver-haired woman muttered.
"This has to be a nightmare," the warrior added, astonished. The spot where that creature had fallen was now occupied by a man; a black-haired human with several scars on his body. It was a familiar face, one that both could recognize instantly. It was the boy's father.
"Dad, dad!" the warrior cried out.
]
"Beatrice, this story is too cruel for a child!"
"Don't worry, mom. I was the one who suggested this story to Beako, after all, I'm very mature for these things now."
"Stop interrupting the narrator, kashira!"
[
The warrior quickly approached his father's body, desperately trying to wake him up.
"Wake up, please, wake up..." However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get him to react.
]
"Dad, wake up. It's time for you to wake up according to the story." Tonnura couldn't get his father to react no matter how much he shook him; he tended to take his roles way too seriously.
Faced with Tonnura's displeasure, a brilliant idea crossed his mind. Standing up, he readied himself and jumped right onto his father's belly, delivering a good blow.
"Gah!" was the groan of pain that escaped the black-haired man's lips.
"Tonnura..." the man said with difficulty while holding his stomach, "I was supposed to be dead."
"It was your fault, dad. I told you that you had to get up," the little boy complained, throwing himself onto his father again to hug him.
"Mom, help me punish dad," he asked, turning to look at the woman behind him.
The woman, who was supposedly captive, looked at the two males in front of her with an immensely amused smile.
"You're right. Your father behaved veeery badly this time, so he deserves to be reprimanded," she supported with her sweet voice, similar to the chiming of silver bells. Standing up, she approached her husband and let herself fall onto the bed by his side.
"Ugh... It can't be, assaulted by my own family," the man dramatized, bringing the back of his hand to his forehead. "Who would have imagined?"
"Tonnura, get on the other side."
"Sure, mom," the boy obeyed with a mischievous smile.
"It's time to give him a bombardment of kisses," mother and son announced in unison.
And just as warned, each proceeded to bombard the black-haired man's cheeks with quick, loud kisses, filling him with tickles.
"Nooo, kisses! My one weakness," the man laughed with a genuine, unerasable smile. "Well, I suppose it's my turn now." The man firmly wrapped his arms around the woman and the little boy by his sides.
First, he turned to his wife and gave her a deep kiss on the lips, full of love.
"My... What took you so long, my Subaru?" she whispered amidst sweet giggles.
Right after, the man turned his head and started leaving a flurry of successive kisses on his little boy's forehead and cheeks, who started laughing out loud.
"Hahaha! Dad, I yield, I yield, hahaha!" The three were sharing a beautiful and warm family moment. But the sudden sound of papers being crumpled roughly interrupted them.
"Seems like someone is upset because they weren't included," the black-haired man noticed, lifting his head.
"Oh, no!" Tonnura said in exaggerated panic. "We forgot about Beako, dad."
This, of course, caused clear annoyance in the fourth person in the room.
"That's not it, I suppose..." Beatrice muttered, crumpling the sheets in her hands even more. "I'm called to these kinds of activities to narrate the story, and not only do you interrupt me, but you also start doing your happy family activities without including Betty! That is unacceptable, in fact!" she finished, making an adorable pout.
"Don't be upset, Beatrice. You know we really appreciate you playing with us," the woman comforted her tenderly. "Besides, you know you're welcome to kiss Subaru with us whenever you want."
The woman's innocent words caused an explosive blush on the Great Spirit's face.
"Y-y-you... Emilia! Don't say such embarrassing things," Beatrice stammered, looking away cutely, which triggered laughter from everyone present.
"Hahaha, you're really adorable, Beako," Tonnura commented innocently as he got up from his father's arms.
Wasting no time, the boy's inexhaustible battery suggested another idea.
"Well, now I'd like to play as an adventurous hero from the stories dad usually tells," Tonnura declared, bouncing with enthusiasm.
Subaru and Emilia looked at each other, sharing melting smiles at seeing their beautiful son's boundless energy. Just as they decided to stand up to continue their game, a loud call from the front door caught their attention.
"Natsuki-san, Emilia-sama! Are you home?" a man's voice called. "Some of the decorations have arrived!"
"It's Uncle Otto!" Tonnura cheered with joy. "We have to invite him to play too. He can be the guy who always gets beaten up when getting into trouble."
Subaru let out a loud laugh at his son's sharp comment.
"Hahaha, well said, son," he praised, petting Tonnura's soft hair. "I've taught you well."
"Hmph, I suppose Betty's contractor never changes."
However, at that precise moment, Subaru felt a sharp pain as one of his ears was pulled mercilessly.
"Subaru, don't teach our son bad habits," Emilia scolded him, furrowing her brow. "And don't be mean to Otto, we must go out and attend to him."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch...! I get it, Emilia-tan," Subaru complained, rubbing his freed ear.
"Otto is doing us a huge favor by bringing so many materials for the celebration," Emilia continued. "We need to go organize the preparations so everything turns out perfect."
"You're right, Emilia-tan. The day is almost here," Subaru conceded.
"Huh? You're leaving already?" asked Tonnura. His voice, previously full of enthusiasm, now sounded timid and subdued.
Emilia and Subaru turned to look at him. Their faces filled with guilt for having to leave their son in the middle of a play session.
Emilia crouched down to Tonnura's eye level and placed one of her warm hands on his cheek.
"Tonnura, dad and I have to go out with Uncle Otto to organize some things," she explained tenderly. "So you'll stay with Beatrice until we get back. Ooookey?"
"But... I... I still wanted to play with you a little more..." the little boy mumbled, with tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Lately you are always very busy and spend a lot of time away."
It broke Subaru, Emilia, and Beatrice's hearts into a thousand pieces to hear him. "Don't worry, champ. As soon as we return, tomorrow we'll be with you as long as you want," Subaru promised, winking at him to try and cheer him up.
Emilia planted a loud kiss on Tonnura's forehead. "It's a promise, ooookey?"
"Okay, mom."
"We'll be right back, son. Make sure you give Beako her daily cuddles for me, alright?" Subaru asked, ruffling his hair.
Tonnura understood the importance of his mission and gladly accepted.
"Sure, dad, I'll take care of it," he nodded, clenching his small fists in determination.
"What are you supposedly talking about when I'm right here, in fact?!" Beatrice exclaimed, crossing her arms. "Though it's not like I'm opposed to the idea, I suppose..." With Beatrice's classic tsundere nature shown once again, the family laughed, lightening the mood.
But, even so, Tonnura couldn't help but feel a little lonely watching his parents walk out the door to take care of adult matters that didn't concern a child like him.
Tonnura Natsuki, a quarter-elf with white hair and a slightly sharp gaze, an inhabitant of the elf village in the Elior Forest. He was a seven-year-old boy, extremely charismatic, cheerful, and full of contagious energy. He always sought to help others, blindly following his parents' noble ideals.
Emilia Natsuki, former candidate for the throne of Lugunica and now leader of the elves of the Elior Forest. And Subaru Natsuki, former knight of the half-elf candidate and now Hero of Lugunica, recognized for their great deeds against the Witch Cult and as the executioner of the three Great Mabeasts. Who, after all their achievements throughout their long journeys, and having gained influence and forged ties in the Kingdom of Lugunica, the Vollachian Empire, and the Kararagi City-States—and above all, after the peaceful coronation of Queen Felt—decided to settle in the Elior Forest in search of a quiet life.
They were definitely incredible people and equally great parents; however, that didn't change the fact that they were extremely busy people.
Tonnura looked out the window of his home as his parents went out to greet Otto. That image created a hollow feeling of loneliness in his little chest. But, refusing to be discouraged, he took a deep breath and turned to Beatrice.
"Well... I suppose it's just you and me for now, Beako."
"That's right, I suppose," Beatrice nodded, approaching him. "Enough playing for today. It's time to start your study hours."
"What?! But..."
"But nothing. Betty's contractor asked me to make sure I gave you your classes," Beatrice stated firmly. "Where Betty's Subaru comes from, children your age attended a place for classes along with other children."
Beatrice paused for a second to look at Tonnura's completely defeated face. "And since you are the only elf child in the entire Elior Forest, I suppose it is my duty, as my contractor's Great Spirit, to take charge of educating you."
Tonnura's eyes widened at Beatrice's piercing words.
Once again, that thought that had been tormenting him for a while crossed his mind. He was the only child in the Elior Forest. The elves currently inhabiting the village did not yet have any offspring.
His only friends his age were extremely far away, like Queen Felt's children, or literally in another country, like the princes of the Vollachian Empire.
And Meili, the closest thing he had to a sister, was in the capital doing business with the Duke Schult Barielle.
He had no one to spend time with and do kid things with, which frustrated him immensely. And Beatrice's strict attitude at this very moment wasn't helping to improve his mood.
"Moo... you're so boring, Beatrice, hmph," Tonnura grumbled with apparent anger, making a prominent pout.
"Kashira?! Did you just call me Beatrice?!"
"That's right, because I don't love you anymore. Bleh!" the boy finished, sticking his tongue out at her.
A critical, direct, and merciless blow was dealt to the fragile heart of the adorable spirit. Her contractor's beloved son had called her boring and, even worse, had said the forbidden words.
"But... but..." Beatrice was severely injured on an emotional level. Her mind failed to process the betrayal and she collapsed on the spot.
Meanwhile, Tonnura looked away. Deep down, he felt bad for what he had done, but he was truly frustrated.
Just moments ago he was on a fun imaginary adventure with his whole family united. He couldn't blame his parents. His mom, as leader of the elves, had to take care of keeping the peace and organizing the village's well-being. And his dad, being a charismatic hero and her husband, always offered to help her with foreign relations.
He felt immensely lucky to have such incredible parents. He understood that they had to go out and continue being heroes or, in this case, organize a massive event like Christmas, a beautiful tradition originating from his dad's birthplace.
But, despite understanding everything, he couldn't help but feel lonely.
†††
The next day, in the Natsuki household, Tonnura was running at top speed through the hallways, laughing out loud.
They were in the middle of a frantic game of tag, being closely chased by his mother.
"You're too slow, you can't catch me!" the quarter-elf challenged her cheerfully.
"Oh, yeah? Well, you better prepare yourself, you slippery little guy, because you won't be able to escape your mother's affection," Emilia replied, her eyes shining with pure amusement.
Tonnura laughed and quickly turned towards his parents' room. Emilia was right on his heels, determined to catch him.
Upon reaching the room, Tonnura devised a master plan to outsmart his mother and achieve a "movie-like getaway" (whatever that meant, as his dad would say).
His strategy consisted of jumping onto the bed, bouncing on the mattress to shoot back out towards the door, and closing it behind him.
"You're trapped, you little ruffian," Emilia announced, appearing in the doorway.
Tonnura looked at her, surprised by the incredible speed at which she had arrived. He had underestimated her. Trying to set his emergency plan in motion, he ran towards the bed and took a big leap.
However, his plan had the small inconsistency of being designed to evade a normal person, not the astounding physical prowess of an elf like his mother. So, before he could even touch the sheets to bounce, he was intercepted mid-air and caught easily.
"Gotcha, you little rascal."
"That's not fair, mom!" Tonnura complained, kicking his legs gently. "You're incredibly strong and skilled."
"If you were trying to make that sound like an insult, well, it didn't work, young man," Emilia replied, grabbing him under his armpits and lifting him to look directly into his eyes. "That only made me feel very proud that my son recognizes how incredible his mom is." Emilia let out a dramatic, prideful sigh.
"Hahaha, it's just that you're the strongest and most incredible mom out of all the moms in the world," Tonnura admitted, looking at her with pure adoration.
Emilia's heart skipped a beat. The tender words of her son made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
"And you are my little pointy-ears, whom I love so much," she whispered, drawing him to her chest in a warm, protective hug. Tonnura clung to his mother's neck, returning the hug.
"I love you, mom."
"And I love you, my precious son."
"But I love you more," Tonnura insisted, breaking the hug just a little to look into her eyes.
"No, I love you much more," Emilia replied, accepting the challenge.
"I love you more than the size of the entire world!" the boy exclaimed, spreading his arms as wide as they could go.
"Let me clarify something for you," Emilia said, before falling onto her back on the bed, taking Tonnura down with her. "You are my precious treasure, the sweetest piece of my heart, the life of my life, my..."
With every phrase she spoke, Emilia planted a loud kiss on a different part of her son's face: his forehead, his nose, his cheeks.
"I get it, mom, I get it, hahaha!" The beautiful moment between mother and son could have continued for hours, but it was interrupted when, from the doorway, a certain spirit raised her voice.
"So here you are, Emilia. Betty's Subaru is looking for you, in fact," Beatrice announced. "He's asking you to go quickly to finish the final touches for the celebration, I suppose."
Emilia stopped her bombardment of cuddles and looked at Beatrice in surprise. "Oh, that's right. Thanks, Beatrice, I'll be right there," she replied, before turning back to the boy.
"I'm so sorry, my little one. I have to go help your dad finish organizing the Christmas party." With great regret, Emilia let go of Tonnura and began to get up from the bed.
"You're leaving already? But we've barely played for a little bit, mom..."
"I know, my love. But mom has to go make sure dad doesn't get into trouble or break something, you know how he is," Emilia tried to joke to soften the situation.
"I suppose it's Betty's duty to take over and accompany my contractor's adorable son."
Tonnura looked between Emilia and Beatrice with a furrowed brow. He understood that his mother had to leave, but that didn't change the fact that, by leaving him there, she was breaking the promise from the previous afternoon.
"Mom is a liar," Tonnura declared with disdain.
"Excuse me?!" Emilia exclaimed, genuinely hurt. "Tonnura... Why would you say that?"
"Because it's the truth," he answered without hesitation. "Mom has always told me that promises are verrry important and that I should always keep them, to not be like dad, who breaks them often."
The little boy pointed at his mother, glaring at her with his sharp little eyes.
"But now mom is acting just like dad. Yesterday you promised me that you'd be with me and we'd play for as long as I wanted, but dad isn't even here, and right now mom is about to leave, breaking her promise."
Every syllable was like a painful ice dagger stabbing deep into Emilia's heart. The impact of being scolded so rightfully, and by none other than her own son, was devastating.
"Mom is a liar. Hmph!" Emilia fell to her knees on the floor in a sign of absolute defeat. The light seemed to abandon her amethysts, leaving a hollow gaze full of guilt.
"I... I broke a promise to my own son..." Of all the people Tonnura could have called out for a broken promise, the most affected would always be the one who took them as a sacred oath. Heavily reprimanded by none other than her own flesh and blood.
"I know you're deeply affected, Emilia," Beatrice commented, trying uselessly to hold back a laugh at the half-elf's dramatics, "but Betty's Subaru is still waiting for you."
With what little willpower she had left, Emilia nodded.
"It's... true... My Subaru is waiting for me... I must... go help him..." the white-haired woman whispered like a ghost, dragging her feet as she left the room.
"Hmph." Tonnura simply watched his mother leave, crossing his arms without offering her a single word of comfort.
"It comforts me to see I'm not the only one left devastated by your words, after all," Beatrice commented when they were left alone.
"She broke her promise."
"Although I find your innate ability to hurt people where it hurts the most impressive, I must say it is unacceptable behavior," Beatrice scolded him, pointing her little finger at him. "If you keep misbehaving like this, I suppose Santa Claus won't bring you any presents this Christmas."
That warning caused enormous panic in the boy.
"I didn't do it out of malice, Beako!" he defended himself hastily. "It's just that lately they've been very busy and they push me aside."
"But why should you feel like that, in fact?" Beatrice questioned, pointing to herself with pride. "After all, you have the great and perfect Betty."
"It's just that Beako only talks about boring things."
"Santa Claus won't bring you anything, kashira!"
"I'm sorry! It's just that... I wish I had someone else to play with when dad and mom aren't around," Tonnura confessed, looking down. "Someone who truly keeps me company and understands me."
For a moment, several images of people crossed the boy's mind; people who shared exactly the kind of bond he yearned for.
First, he thought of Uncle Garf and the very special way he was treated by Aunt Frederica.
Then, certain rambunctious triplets came to mind, and their unbreakable union beyond any divine protection.
And lastly, he thought of certain Oni sisters who unconditionally protected, cared for, and admired each other.
And then, everything clicked.
Tonnura understood exactly what he was missing. There would be no person in the world who understood him better than someone of his own blood.
He wanted a sibling.
The answer had always been so easy. Of course he knew that, if his wish came true, his new baby sibling would start out as a boring baby that would only cry and sleep, and that it would take years before they could keep up with his games. But he didn't mind that; he could wait patiently, take care of them, and enjoy watching them grow.
But there was a major little strategic problem.
Tonnura lacked vital information: he didn't know where babies came from. Every time he asked his parents or Beako, they always got super nervous and evaded the topic. They limited themselves to babbling about exotic birds called storks, or seeds planted in the earth.
But he wasn't dumb; he knew all of those were white lies to distract him.
If he wanted a baby sibling, he first had to discover the source from where babies were obtained.
"What present are you going to ask Santa for Christmas?" Beatrice asked, snapping him out of his deep thoughts.
"Huh? What did you say, Beako?"
"I asked what you are going to ask Santa Claus for," the spirit repeated patiently.
At that precise moment, Tonnura had a divine revelation. The perfect solution to his current dilemma!
His father had explained to him countless times that Santa Claus was a magical, omnipotent being, in charge of manufacturing and bringing the most difficult and unattainable gifts to good children.
"I think I know exactly what I'm going to ask for, Beako," Tonnura announced, and a huge, almost Machiavellian smile formed on his face.
"May I know what it is, I suppose?"
"It's something that will probably make you very happy too."
"Kashira?!" The boy's cryptic answer left Beatrice genuinely curious and, above all, very confused.
†††
"Are you sure he's already asleep?"
"At this hour, it's humanly impossible for a child with his energy to still be awake."
"But he could have stayed hidden to try and spot Santa Claus."
"Don't worry, Emilia-tan. Beako stayed to sleep with him in his room, so we're safe."
"Alright, I trust you, Subaru."
It was the late hours of the night on Christmas Eve. Both Subaru and Emilia were tiptoeing through the living room, getting ready to leave Tonnura's presents under the lush Christmas tree.
"Was it really necessary to wear the fake beard, Subaru?" Emilia asked in a whisper, holding back a giggle.
Subaru was wearing the traditional, fluffy red Santa Claus suit, complemented by a thick, synthetic white beard.
"Completely necessary, Emilia-tan. After all, it's a vital security measure in case someone happens to catch us in the act."
"But who's going to see us at this hour of the night in our own house?"
"Well... good point, forget about that," Subaru conceded, scratching the back of his neck. "Changing the subject, you look incredibly sexy in that outfit, Emilia-tan."
"I'm glad to know you like it. Sylphy brought it to me a few days ago," Emilia replied, doing an elegant little twirl to model it. "It's a special request I asked Petra to design, and it turned out simply great."
Emilia wore a fitted red coat with white details over a green blouse, along with a short red skirt that made her match perfectly with Subaru's outfit, highlighting her undeniable elven beauty and lovely figure.
"I definitely need to send Petra a huge gift basket to thank her for letting me enjoy such a view," Subaru sighed, captivated.
"Dummy," Emilia scolded him, her cheeks tinted a soft crimson. "Let's leave Tonnura's presents quickly before he actually wakes up."
"Right away! I also have a couple of presents our friends sent him from the capital," Subaru noted, opening his huge magic sack full of toys.
Both parents knelt down and carefully placed the wrapped boxes in front of the illuminated Christmas tree.
"Did you manage to find out what special present Tonnura wanted this year?" Emilia asked, adjusting a ribbon.
"We were so busy organizing the festival for the village that I asked Beako to play spy for me."
"And what did she find out?"
"Unfortunately, it seems he clammed up. When she asked him, Beako couldn't get any information out of him," Subaru sighed, feeling a bit guilty.
"Oh, well... I suppose we'll have to make it up to him some other way tomorrow," Emilia replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Lately we really haven't spent much time with him..."
"Yeah, you're right, Emilia-tan..." Subaru finished arranging the last toy next to the tree when a small white detail caught his attention. He saw a decorated envelope resting on one of the lower branches and, out of curiosity, he picked it up.
"Emilia-tan, look at this."
"What's wrong, Subaru?" she asked, stepping closer until their shoulders brushed. Looking closely, both could clearly read on the envelope: "To Dear Santa."
"It's a letter from Tonnura to Santa Claus," Subaru realized.
"We have to read it quickly! I'm sure Tonnura must have written the exact present he wanted in there. Maybe we still have time to get it or craft it with magic," Emilia suggested, full of hope.
Obeying, Subaru carefully broke the letter's seal and began to read its contents alongside his wife.
As their eyes scanned their son's childish handwriting, both of them froze, enormously impacted.
"I see... so Tonnura has been feeling very lonely lately..." Emilia murmured, a lump forming in her throat.
"It's normal. After all, he barely interacts with other kids his age while isolated here in the forest," Subaru added, running a hand through his hair.
A thick and long silence formed between both parents as they processed the weight of their son's innocent wish.
The silence was only broken when Subaru felt a timid but firm tug on his suit sleeve, coming from his wife.
"Emilia-tan?" Emilia was staring intently at the floor, playing nervously with the fabric of her skirt.
"Subaru... lately we've been veeery bad parents to Tonnura..." Emilia said, and Subaru noticed how his wife's adorable pointy ears were flushing a deep red. "The least we can do to make up for it is... fulfill his demands for this Christmas..."
Subaru swallowed loudly. The atmosphere suddenly felt much warmer. "What... what exactly are you trying to say, Emilia?" he asked, evident nervousness in his trembling voice.
Emilia finally looked up to meet her husband's eyes, revealing her completely flushed face but with a fierce determination shining in her amethyst pupils. She slowly raised her arms to wrap them around Subaru's neck in an intimate embrace, leaving him with no escape route.
"What I mean..." Emilia whispered, closing the distance until their breaths mixed, "is that it is our absolute duty as parents... to make our son very, very happy."
Subaru's heart skipped a beat. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Emilia's waist in a firm hug, pulling her even closer to his chest.
"There is nothing in this world that would make me happier than seeing our son smile," Subaru affirmed, and his tone of voice shifted to a deeply flirtatious one. "So... what do you propose exactly, Emilia-tan?"
Their faces and bodies pressed closer together, and Subaru's hands naturally slid a little further down his beloved's waist.
"That we should try reaaally hard... so that his present arrives as soon as possible," Emilia purred, with a loving and deliciously bold tone.
"Well... how about we start trying hard right now?"
"I would love that."
And with that, both melted their lips into a long, tremendously passionate kiss. Definitely, this was going to be a very, very long Christmas Eve for the couple.
However, a couple of rooms away, a certain loli-shaped spirit woke up abruptly from her sleep. Beatrice sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, and looked to her side. Tonnura was sleeping soundly, sprawled across the sheets, showing no sign of wanting to get up to spy on Santa Claus. Relieved, she settled down to go back to sleep.
Ah~
Once again, an unusual sound, distant but perceptible, put her on high alert.
Determined to investigate, she stood up silently and walked toward the door, searching for the source of the disturbance.
But, before she could even touch the doorknob, she could hear much more clearly through the wood. The source was most definitely confirmed.
Ah~ Keep going~ My knight~
As you wish~ Ah~ My queen~
Beatrice's face exploded in a millisecond into the most intense shade of red imaginable. Without hesitating for half a second, she snapped her fingers and conjured a magic barrier to completely soundproof Tonnura's room.
"How vulgar and shameless!" Beatrice complained in a hysterical whisper, covering her ears. She turned to look at the cute quarter-elf who was still snoring softly and let out a heavy, incredibly long sigh of resignation.
"Don't worry, Tonnura. As long as I'm still here, I will continue to protect your purity and innocence with my life, in fact," Beatrice swore, rubbing her temples tiredly.
†††
It was the dawn of a new day. But not just any day; the morning sun of Christmas illuminated the Elior Forest.
Tonnura, as soon as he opened his eyes, jumped out of bed like a spring and ran in his pajamas toward the living room, where he came face to face with the Christmas tree surrounded by a massive mountain of multicolored toys. But none of those material wonders mattered to him in the slightest.
He began to dig through the boxes looking for something very specific, even though, honestly, he himself didn't know what shape it would take. Until, suddenly, he spotted a small, sealed white scroll that read: "To the good Tonnura." Seeing it, he took it in his trembling hands and tore it open in a second, ready to devour its contents.
Upon finishing reading the elegant magical lines, his eyes lit up like stars and he began to jump uncontrollably with happiness.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Tonnura celebrated, hugging the letter.
Determined to share his ecstasy, he ran like a torpedo toward his parents' room. But, right before he could touch the door, it opened, revealing an Emilia who looked extremely disheveled. Her face was glowing, and her sleepwear looked a bit misbuttoned and untidy, as if she had put it on in a rush upon hearing his footsteps in the hallway.
"Good morning, my love," Emilia greeted. She looked a bit tired and had bags under her eyes, but her voice overflowed with immense affection and sweetness toward her son.
"Mom, mom!" Tonnura yelled, euphoric. "Look, look what I found next to the Christmas tree!" Tonnura practically shoved the letter into her nose.
"Oh, wow... How about you tell me about it on the couch in the living room? Dad is a liiittle tired from the hard work last night, so it'd be best to let him sleep a little longer."
"Sure!"
Hurrying toward the living room and practically dragging his mother by the hand, Tonnura sat down next to her on the soft couch.
"Look, mom. I asked Santa Claus to bring me a baby sibling to play with," Tonnura explained, waving his hands enthusiastically as he showed her the magic scroll. "And he replied that he will grant my wish! But he says that, since it's a very difficult and special magical gift, it would take approximately ten months for my new sibling to be made and arrive."
Tonnura couldn't stop bouncing on the cushions because of the monumental news. Emilia simply limited herself to watching him. An infinitely warm and maternal smile settled on her face, accompanied by soft, sweet giggles upon seeing her little boy's animated reaction.
"I'm so very happy for you, Tonnura. But you should know that being an older sibling carries a lot of responsibility, you know?"
"Of course, mom! I'll try my absolute best! I promise to protect them just like dad does."
"It makes me very happy to hear that."
"This is fantastic news! I have to go wake Beako up and tell her that in ten months I'll have a baby sibling. I'm sure she'll be very, very happy!" Tonnura announced, before bolting off again toward his own room.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Emilia maintained her huge, loving smile. She closed her eyes tenderly and slowly brought a hand down to caress her flat belly.
"Well... if your father and I keep trying this hard, that time might just magically shrink to only nine months, hehe," Emilia whispered between conspiratorial giggles.
And, just as Emilia guessed on that beautiful morning, Tonnura truly had to start getting ready very soon to be the best older brother. Because, inside Emilia's womb, the future youngest daughter of the Natsuki family was beginning to gestate.
Chocorina Natsuki would arrive in this world, to fill it with more smiles, in exactly nine months.