When she opened her eyes again, she found a pair of eyes in front of her. The eyes had a warm and intense amber or golden-yellow color, round with a slightly elongated vertical pupil. She was startled and mesmerized by the gaze of those eyes, but as her attention shifted slightly, she noticed a mouth filled with sharp fangs.
She was shocked and screamed, attempting to move away from those terrifying fangs. However, she found that her body lacked the strength it should have for movement. Her two small, furry hands could only weakly squirm, and her voice sounded like the cries of a cute little creature.
The horrifying mouth transformed into a warm smile, leaving her transfixed. Then the mouth began to move, creating patterns and sounds in an unfamiliar language she couldn't comprehend.
"Ουάου, είναι πολύ πώρωμενος!! Είναι και πολύ δυνατός, φαίνεται ότι το παιδί μας θα γίνει ένα ισχυρό τέρας, Zara," he said while look past her head.
Once again, she felt something odd about her body, particularly her inability to turn and see who this person speaking to was. However, her ears could still hear the response to the words of the person in front of her, a voice that sounded very warm and slightly higher-pitched than that of the individual facing her.
"Φυσικά, θα γίνει δυνατός επειδή είναι το παιδί μου και το παιδί σου. Στη συνέχεια, θα του δώσω εγώ το όνομα ή θα το κάνεις εσύ;"
Then those golden eyes gazed straight at her again, filled with warmth that made her heart itch, yet also bringing comfort that made her lips form a reflexive smile. She had never experienced this feeling before, but it didn't mean she didn't know what she was feeling.
She understood that the comfort and warmth she was experiencing were her instincts telling her that she was in a safe place. She was together with two people who would never hurt her. He, who was holding her warmly, was her father, and she, who was behind her, was her mother.
"Από σήμερα, το όνομά σου είναι Aliana," her father said with a warm smile on his lips.
She didn't understand what her father was saying, but she grasped one word he uttered: Aliana. It was the new name given to her, and for some reason, the name resonated with her, making it quickly acceptable.
Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and she realized that a baby's body didn't have much strength. Relinquishing her desire to stay awake, she closed her eyes. However, she knew that when she opened her eyes again, there wouldn't be a Lady Boss anymore, but Aliana, the daughter of this warm little family.
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Seven years had passed since her birth, and the longer Aliana lived in this world, the more certain she became that it wasn't the same as her previous one. The idea that she might be having an extended dream was fading, and Aliana began to accept that she had been reincarnated into a different world after her death.
"Forgive me, my otaku ex-boyfriend," Aliana whispered, taking her steps homeward. "I apologize for thinking you were crazy."
Fortunately, she was a wise person, so despite her casual dismissal of her otaku ex-boyfriend's fantasy story, she still listened to them. She realized that the first thing you should do when reincarnating into another world is to find your own "golden finger." Aliana had tried calling out for a system, status, or using other weird code names that he was talking about, but unfortunately, what she hoped for didn't appear.
Nevertheless, Aliana didn't feel sad. Whether she had her own "golden finger" or not wasn't a concern for her. If she could succeed with her own efforts in her previous life, there was no reason she couldn't succeed in her new life. So, the first thing Aliana did was gather as much information as possible.
For a baby, the method of gathering information was quite limited, so she began by observing her surroundings. She started with herself and her family.
Aliana discovered that her body and her parents' bodies were no longer those of humans but what this world knew as werebeast. They were living creatures with the characteristics of animals with fur but walked on two legs.
Contrary to what her otaku ex-boyfriend might have hoped for, werebeast didn't have the appearance of cat girl cosplay. They didn't have animal ears on top of their heads that resembled cat ear headbands; instead, their ears were located on the sides of their heads where human ears should be. However, their tails were as expected by the otaku.
Another difference was the fine hairs that covered their backs, arms, fingers, shins, and legs. These fine hairs had patterns or coloration according to the type of werebeast they were.
Another thing she discovered was that this world had far more advanced technology than her previous one. The people of this world were certain of the existence of life beyond their planet, and for nobles, traveling from one plane to another was commonplace.
However, knowledge about the outside world felt very distant to Aliana at the moment. Her parents were just ordinary people leading a simple life, and they could be considered below-average economically.
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Moreover, those living in this world had much stronger physical abilities than the ordinary humans in her previous world. Even a 10-year-old could easily lift hundreds of kilograms. Her father explained that this had something to do with the Mana Core located at the heart of every creature in this world.
However, once again, this knowledge was mainly possessed by the nobility, while only a small fraction of the common folk were aware of it. Aliana once again felt the contrast between those with privileges and those without.
Just like in her previous world, where you were born greatly determined your opportunities for a successful life. Someone born into an ordinary family had to climb rocky mountains to reach the pinnacle of life, whereas those born into wealthy families would have a guide and a smooth path.
Although there were public schools in this world that taught children knowledge, as Aliana suspected, this knowledge was not very useful for real life. Schools were essentially designed to teach people to obey rules from an early age.
For example in her previous world, schools never taught about taxes, yet knowledge about taxes was crucial for survival as adults. This is why the most important knowledge children can acquire usually comes from their own parents.
As a result, someone whose father was a baker is likely to become one as well. Meanwhile, those with entrepreneurial parents would likely become entrepreneurs. Essential knowledge about the real world couldn't be taught by teachers who had no experience other than what they would teach.
The vital knowledge about the actual world could only be provided by the child's own parents.
Unfortunately, due to the economic burdens faced by most families, many had both parents working to ease the financial strain, turning schools into dual-purpose institutions: places to leave children while both parents worked to enrich those in power and train them to become the new workforce.
The absence of both parents at home hindered children from obtaining the knowledge they should have. This, in turn, made schools the sole place where children could acquire knowledge, leading to a new generation that was compliant and willing to work hard for the rulers when they graduated from school.
Staring at the simple wooden door of her house, Aliana could only let out a long sigh. She remembered that she had once written an article about this in a some social magazine in her previous life. Perhaps that article was one of the reasons why she was killed in her previous life.
Maybe the honest thoughts of a successful woman seemed very dangerous to that organization. However, whatever the reason, Aliana no longer wanted to dwell on it. Her new world presented challenges far more perilous than before.
Intelligence and her quick-thinking abilities were no longer the most important things in this world. With the existence of Mana Cores, Aliana knew that those with superpowers were not just mere fantasies anymore.
The door in front of her opened before Aliana could knock. A handsome man, nearly two meters tall, bent down and embraced Aliana tightly. His long, thick golden hair tickled Aliana's nose. But she didn't squirm; instead, she savored the warmth of the hug.
He was her father, Aslan, a Lion Beast.
He had married her mother, Zara, a Leopard Beast, ten years ago. Seven years ago, they had their only child, Aliana, a Snow Leopard.
Aliana didn't know how a lion could marry a leopard and give birth to a snow leopard. But it seemed like a common occurrence in this world, so she didn't want to waste her brain cells thinking about it.
As long as it wasn't crucial to her survival or directly related to her success in this world, Aliana didn't want to dwell on it. Despite being a genius, she still had limited time and energy.
Aslan lowered Aliana from his tight embrace and showered his daughter's face with kisses. Even though she had been living in this world for seven years, Aliana still couldn't get used to being treated like a child. After all, she used to be ten years older than the current late-twenties Aslan.
However, Aliana couldn't refuse Aslan's desire to spoil his daughter. As the only child that Aslan and Zara had, Aliana was the center of attention in this family. Her father pampered her, while her mother was quite strict.
Aslan didn't work and was a house-husband, taking care of their home. It was her mother who worked to provide for the family. As someone who had lived in modern times, Aliana didn't see anything wrong with women working to support their families. However, what puzzled her was the nature of her mother's job.
She was a miner.
It was a physically demanding job, something you'd expect women who liked cleanliness and hygiene to avoid. But it seemed to be the norm in this world, or maybe just in this city. Because all of Aliana's neighbors and friends' mothers were also miners.
When Aliana tried to ask her father why Zara worked as a miner and not Aslan, her mother overheard the conversation unintentionally. In the end, Zara beat Aliana until she cried and begged for forgiveness.
Fortunately, Aslan quickly intervened before it could become Aliana's newest trauma. He comforted Zara, saying that Aliana didn't mean to insult him. With a gentle smile, Aslan answered Aliana's question, "It's because women are stronger than men."
To this day, Aliana didn't understand what Aslan meant, and it remained one of the questions that piqued her curiosity.
"Aliana, today is your birthday. What kind of gift would you like?" After smothering Aliana's face with kisses, Aslan asked with a big smile.
Knowing that her family couldn't afford expensive gifts, Aliana asked for something she considered simple. "I'd like a birthday cake," she replied, trying to sound genuinely excited.
"Hehehe, in that case, we'll have a birthday cake tonight. But you'll have to be patient and wait for it, alright? You'll get it after your mother comes home," Aslan said, squatting down to be at eye level with Aliana.
"Okay," Aliana nodded and smiled.
"Good girl!" Aslan laughed, ruffling Aliana's hair.
"Now, put your school bag in your room and go clean up. Boys don't like dirty girls," Aslan continued, his words sounding familiar as if it were an everyday thing.
Aliana nodded and hurried to her room to put away her school bag, trying to push away thoughts about the strangeness of Aslan's statement.
While the cold water was running over her body, Aliana suddenly heard a ringing bell followed by a robotic voice.
*Ding!
[Main Quest: Became the wife of Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra.]
>> Baralyn was a perfect man in every aspect: strength, character, lineage, and fate. Anyone who became his wife could be assured of reaching the pinnacle of this world. However, it also meant that anyone who wished to become his wife would have to contend with other strong women who coveted him. As the saying goes, the sweeter the flower, the more bees it attracts.
Tips: There is a possibility that virginity is one of the requirements for completing this quest.
Reward: ???, Maybe this is what you've always been looking for.]
"What!?!"