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The House of Schariac once had its own glorious history.
In Ana's previous generation, aside from Louis, there were three aunts - Cecilia, Maria, and Angelica. Cecilia was Schicksal's renowned S-rank Valkyrie, while Maria and Angelica were also former Valkyries with exceptional talents. However, due to certain reasons, they later returned to their family estate.
None of them ever married.
During that time, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the House of Schariac was thriving.
But after Schariac's death, followed by Maria and Angelica leaving Schicksal, Ana's grandfather couldn't bear the shock and passed away. Consequently, the entire House of Schariac gradually diminished in prominence.
It wasn't until Louis assumed the position as family head and sent Ana to Schicksal that the House of Schariac avoided complete disappearance from the organization.
In Ana's current generation, besides herself, there were four younger siblings. Although considered part of the extended family, they too inherited the Schariac surname and innate talents.
However, the term 'prosperous growth' could hardly describe the state of the House of Schariac.
Hand in hand with Xia Chen, Ana hummed cheerfully, her mood exceptionally high.
"Don't be fooled by my dad's somewhat stern appearance; he's actually really nice," Ana defended her father as they walked together. "Next, I'll introduce you to my younger siblings. They can be quite mischievous but have great personalities, always affectionately calling me 'Big Sister Ana'."
Xia Chen gently squeezed Ana's hand and said, "Thank you."
"Seriously? We're already this close, why thank me?" Ana playfully scolded him with a gentle glance.
"Well, of course it's for standing up for me." Xia Chen smiled wryly. "As you know, I'm not very good at handling such situations alone."
"Defending your boyfriend is only natural, isn't it?" Ana's lips curled slightly, her mood clearly uplifted as she said, "Unless you don't want to be my boyfriend anymore, in which case, I'd definitely still defend you."
"As if that could happen."
Xia Chen wrapped his arms around her and spun her around once, saying, "Finding a wife like you is harder than searching under a lantern's light. Why would I ever let go?"
"Hmph, glad you understand." She softly kissed his cheek and added, "Let's go."
Just then, a little girl peeked out from behind a corner, exclaiming, "Big Sister Ana, I saw everything!"
"Giggles, so cheeky."
The girl appeared to be around six or seven years old, delicate and charming. Ana huffed, "Wait until you're my age, you'll be just as cheeky too."
After a moment, she added, "This is Xia Chen, your future brother-in-law, Lia."
The girl named Lia looked curiously at Xia Chen and asked, "Brother-in-law, will you help me if Jake bullies me?"
Before Xia Chen could respond, Ana rolled her eyes and said, "Jake's too clueless; it's already impressive if he doesn't get outsmarted by you."
"Alright, Lia, go gather everyone. I've brought some snacks for all of you."
Lia promptly ran off to summon the others.
Schariac's estate was far from the city center, with limited food options beyond the daily meals. Snacks, especially treats, were rare luxuries.
Thus, whenever Ana visited, she would bring snacks, showing immense affection towards her younger siblings.
Soon, about five or six children rushed over, ranging from around seven to eight years old down to four-year-olds.
"Hmm, your brother-in-law bought all these goodies, so don't forget to thank him," Ana quickly attributed the snacks to Xia Chen.
Feeling slightly awkward, Xia Chen realized he hadn't prepared anything upon arriving.
In Europe, it's not customary to bring gifts when visiting, and Ana had mentioned there was no need for presents. Surprisingly, she secretly prepared all these snacks herself.
"Thank you, brother-in-law," chimed the group of children in their innocent voices.
Xia Chen, suppressing his emotions, replied, "No need to thank me, just some small treats."
A bright-eyed boy looked at Xia Chen and asked, "Will you protect Ana, then?"
He continued, "My uncle said boys should protect girls."
Holding Ana's hand, Xia Chen affirmed, "Of course I will."
The boy named Jake, sounding slightly gruff, declared, "Then I'll allow you to date Ana sister."
Ana couldn't help but feel torn between laughter and tears, saying, "Jake, your permission isn't necessary, and besides, you've already called him 'brother-in-law'."
"Is that so?" Jake appeared genuinely naive yet endearingly cute.
In a hushed tone, Ana explained to Xia Chen, "These are my cousins from my father's side, although technically, they don't share the same grandfather with my dad. My father has only one daughter—me. So, the next family head of the House of Schariac might be chosen from among my uncles' children."
Pausing briefly, she added, "But it doesn't really matter; my dad and I don't place much importance on these things."
Ana had no intention of having children with Xia Chen in the future, who would then carry the Schariac name. Despite living in Europe, her mindset leaned towards traditional conservatism. Deep down, she believed that a wife should be obedient to her boyfriend.
Xia Chen was deeply moved by this sentiment.
However, thinking about the world potentially facing destruction, his heart filled with bitterness.
"Hmph, now that you've met my family, there's no backing out," Ana whispered softly into his ear as she stood on tiptoes. "If you do, I'll never live it down."
"Rest assured, I'm fully committed to being your boyfriend, and I won't back out," Xia Chen promised sincerely.
Without the threat of Honkai, finding such a devoted partner is what every husband could wish for. However, precisely because Honkai loomed, he couldn't feel entirely confident.
He pursed his lips and said, "From now on, even if you tried to chase me away, I wouldn't leave."
"Hmph, cheeky." Ana playfully teased him, then noticed their younger siblings openly eavesdropping nearby.
"Shoo, shoo! Kids, go play elsewhere; what comes next isn't suitable for young eyes."
Lia stuck out her tongue, teasing, "No shame, Ana Big Sis."
"So what if I have no shame? If you're so capable, don't eat the snacks I buy next time," Ana retorted.
"Lalala." Lia pulled a funny face and ran off, followed by the others.
Only Jake seemed oblivious, asking, "What does 'not suitable for young eyes' mean?"
"It's things children shouldn't watch."
"Oh."
With that, Jake finally left.
In a soft voice, Ana said, "Come on, let's go to my room."
"But it's broad daylight, not really appropriate..."
"Hmph, what are you thinking? Of course, I just want to show you something." Ana pinched his waist gently, adding, "Those other activities can't be done during the day, naturally."
Xia Chen couldn't help but chuckle, rubbing his nose sheepishly.
He followed Ana to her bedroom, which surprisingly did not exude an overly girlish ambiance. Instead, it was clean and tidy.
Ana approached with a stack of items, saying, "These are paintings created by my mother and me. Back then, I used to be quite the little artist too." A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, as she remembered her mother, who had been unwell and had since passed away.
A hint of sorrow flashed across her eyes; Ana's mother had been ill and had since passed away.
She said softly, "Now, I want to share my happiness and everything with you."