Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

But Bubu will feel that her sins all stem from her.

So it was she, it was herself, who pushed Brunhilde to the side of this saint.

Claire's pupils were filled with malice, a gaze so sharp that Cecilia instinctively turned her head away. The next second, her gaze softened, and the two leaned against the pillows, looking at each other.

Cecilia's face flushed slightly.

"Does Mrs. Claire have something to say to me?"

"I suddenly wanted to ask, how do you plan to have children in the future?" Claire asked abruptly. "Does the Shaniat family have any traditional requirements regarding having offspring?"

"You mean the Shaniat family is resistant to modern emerging technologies?" Cecilia realized. "Actually, it doesn't matter. Our Shaniat family is probably more accepting than the Kaslana family."

"Oh?"

“Due to genetic limitations, the holy maiden bloodline of the Shaniat family cannot produce boys. Therefore, the Shaniat family has always relied on uxorilocal marriages and arranged marriages. Sometimes, this leads to problems like Mrs. Claire's, where someone in the family doesn't want to marry a man but still needs to have children. For example, a family member might be female-oriented or a celibate, etc.,” Cecilia said. “In such cases, they either go to a sperm bank for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or seek in vitro embryo culture, which is commonly known as ‘cloning.’ You know, putting aside IVF, cloning has ethical issues worldwide, but the Shaniat family is at the forefront of this field.”

"Clones? Could you elaborate?"

"As we all know, in vitro fertilization (IVF) also requires intersex genes, but cloning does not. Take Dolly the sheep, whose story was published in Nature, as an example. Dolly was a creature without a father, but with three mothers. One mother provided DNA, one provided eggs, and one acted as a surrogate. Our cloning technology doesn't even require surrogacy; it only needs to provide DNA and eggs. In other words, one woman, or two women, can be cloned."

"But of course, the ethical issues of cloning one person are much bigger than those of cloning two people. Cloning one person is essentially copying oneself. Cloning two people can be understood as the fusion of their genes, which is to some extent their own child. Many lesbian couples in our family don't even want to do IVF, they just want their own daughter, so they can only use cloning."

Claire is a Valkyrie, and those who can achieve A-rank Valkyrie status are generally high achievers. She will soon be able to understand this currently cutting-edge technology.

“So the difference between IVF and cloning is that IVF babies are essentially still a boy and a girl, while cloned babies can be considered artificial humans.” Claire smiled. “It is indeed difficult to define whether an artificial human is human or not.”

“It’s not difficult, is it? As long as someone is willing to give him love, what does it matter if he’s an android?” Cecilia said casually. “Humans are defined not by their mode of production, but by whether they are loved and whether they love others. If someone is willing to be his mother and someone is willing to be his wife, how can you say he’s not human? As long as he has connections and feelings with people, nothing else matters.”

Claire nodded approvingly. "It seems that Miss Cecilia, you also agree with the idea that as long as there is love, nothing else matters. So-called genes, bloodlines, and methods of reproduction are all worthless. As long as there is mutual love, any difficulty should be overcome."

Cecilia had a strange feeling that Claire and what she was saying were not the same thing, but she couldn't find the problem, so she nodded.

"So Cecilia is planning to have several daughters with Siegfried in the future? And also using cloning technology?"

“This…” Cecilia was a little embarrassed. Theoretically, she should smile and agree at this point, even if they weren’t talking about marriage yet, but after all, she was facing an elder… But as she hesitated, the image of the white-furred, red-eyed Ragdoll cat next door appeared in her mind. The thought that he might be eavesdropping on her from next door—which he wasn’t, but it didn’t matter, since Siegfried’s room was next to hers—made her unable to say anything.

Claire gave her an understanding look. "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you, little Cecilia. You don't need to be so nervous. I won't force you to marry Phil right now. If it really doesn't work out, the Kaslana family won't force you. We wouldn't stoop so low."

"..."

Cecilia bit her lip, wanting to say no... Actually, Cecilia didn't really want to refuse to return to Germany right now. Because... only by continuing to "date" Siegfried could she continue to live in this hotel and live a leisurely life with nothing to do.

In the morning, she would eat Bubu's breakfast, take Bubu to school, and at noon, she would do aerobics with Shiyu Qiluo, have a martial arts match, go shopping, and eat. In the afternoon, she would pick Bubu up from school and then cuddle him to sleep at night. Every weekend, the family could also go to the Alps and have a romantic candlelight dinner in a log cabin hotel at the top of the mountain—it turned out that this wonderful life didn't cost much, and the Kaslana family could easily afford it.

I wish this time would never end, and could continue forever.

“But Cecilia, you and Phil are both girls, so I still have to ask,” Claire added.

“It’s alright, Mrs. Claire. I don’t mind gender. Nearly half of the Valkyries in the Shaniat family don’t like boys, but there has never been one who doesn’t like girls.” Cecilia inadvertently revealed the core reason for the low fertility rate in the supernatural realm.

"So, in Cecilia's eyes, is Bubu a boy or a girl?" she asked abruptly.

"Huh? Well... of course it's a boy, I know."

"Your first reaction upon seeing them?"

“My first thought… that was definitely a girl. Even in our Shaniat family, Bubu’s looks are top-notch. Even though I’ve always known his gender, it was really not easy to actually confirm that he was a boy.” Cecilia smiled.

“I’m interested. How was it actually confirmed?” Claire smiled.

"Uh, this." Cecilia pulled the blanket up to cover the lower half of her face, shrinking into the blanket, feeling both embarrassed and ashamed.

How can I confirm this? Should I tell you the whole story of the seven-headed cucumber again?

Seeing Cecilia's adorable expression, Claire felt no "cuteness" at all; unseen, her fingers were already clenched white.

—So something did happen, Your Holiness.

Her mood was incredibly depressed. From a man's perspective, it's like having an adorable white-haired little girl at home, showering her with kisses, hugs, and hugs every day, eagerly anticipating her growth. But after all that effort to raise her, she'd barely had a few bites before being tricked into bed by some random man.

Most importantly, Brunhilde is actually a white-haired "loli".

Moreover, this white-haired loli is full of resistance to you, and all she does is mock and ridicule you, yet she would rather be played with by others!

This kind of painful feeling was something Claire had never experienced before. She had always done things to please herself, and there shouldn't be anything in this world that could make her care, much less cause her pain.

Claire thought with a touch of melancholy, "Sure enough, the book is right. When you fall in love with someone, you have a weakness, and you've lost completely."

—Who made me love so passionately, so greatly?

Claire managed to calm herself down by pinching her thigh several times before she finally came to her senses.

Then she laughed and said, "However, Cecilia, you do have some regrets about getting married like this."

Cecilia was puzzled and waited for her explanation.

Claire lay on her side at a slightly more curved angle, looking at her with mysterious eyes, "Of course it smells like a boy."

She observed Cecilia's reaction as she said this, and seeing Cecilia's bewildered expression, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it hasn't come to that point yet.

"The smell of a boy?"

"When two girls get married, they certainly won't be able to enjoy one of the most interesting activities in the world."

Cecilia thought about it for a while before finally realizing what she meant, and said helplessly, "There's no need for that. Mrs. Claire always talks nonsense."

"Isn't that a pity? You'll never experience this kind of joy in your life, the kind of joy that only girls and boys can feel together," Claire said softly. "You haven't tried it, you don't understand, that's why you're spouting nonsense."

“I…” Cecilia blushed, “I’ve seen…I’ve seen the video, and I don’t think it’s a big deal! It’s not beautiful at all! It’s nothing compared to the sweet and soft feeling between us girls! Girls…have more fun together!”

Claire glanced at her in surprise, not expecting that this saintess would also have such experience.

“I agree with you. Most of these videos are indeed not aesthetically pleasing, and they don’t even capture the beauty of the human body as well as sculptures like David or Camille. But that’s mainly because the men and women in the videos are not beautiful in themselves. The men are strong or obese, with excess muscles or dark skin, and the women have disheveled hair or are sweating profusely. What is there to appreciate?” she said.

Cecilia thought to herself that those kinds of films weren't meant for appreciating art, but since Claire was supporting her, she couldn't very well criticize them.

But Claire changed the subject, "It's just that you haven't seen what's truly beautiful. Isn't it beautiful to see a handsome young man with fair skin, bright eyes, and white teeth, passionately entwined with a charming and radiant woman? Compared to equally beautiful women vying for attention, isn't it more intoxicating to see a beautiful boy and a beautiful girl entwined in tender affection? The beauty of men and women is indispensable, it's just that the extraordinary side is only for women. Naturally beautiful girls are easy to find, but handsome young men who can match their beauty are too few."

Cecilia subconsciously tried to imagine the scene described, swallowing hard.

Indeed, isn't this the core reason why so many exceptional women "self-produce" and change their sexual orientation? As extraordinary individuals, they are superior to ordinary people in almost every way. How could they possibly appreciate those of the opposite sex who are beyond even the understanding of the extraordinary? The more extraordinary they become, the more lonely they feel, and the more they begin to appreciate the beauty of the same sex around them.

The Valkyries possess almost everything of the highest social standing, wealth, power, and beauty, making them among the most eligible men. Since none can rival their beauty, the saying goes, "Girls are made of water, boys are made of mud. I feel refreshed when I see my sisters, but I find men repulsive and foul."

But those who are worthy of being called beauties... haven't grown up yet...

Cecilia bit her lip hard, her eyes darting around, afraid that the woman in front of her would discover her ulterior motives.

“Mrs. Claire has such high standards for boys, and such boys are rare to begin with. What I said… isn’t entirely wrong.” Cecilia steered the conversation back on track, arguing her point. “So there’s nothing to regret, I don’t care.”

"The reason I dare say you'll regret it, Cecilia, is because I've experienced it firsthand," Claire said with a gentle smile.

Cecilia paused, remembering Claire's lover, "The one you're seeing outside... is also quite young."

"Hmm, do you think my requirements are low?" Claire blinked, her expression mischievous and cute. "That kind of thing is so pleasurable, Cecilia, you'll really regret it. After all, I even had a partial vasectomy for him."

Cecilia didn't understand. "What... does this have to do with anything?"

Then, belatedly, she realized what she had said, and her face flushed red. "Mrs. Claire! How could you say such things to an unmarried girl? And... and even if you don't have the surgery, it's fine, isn't it? Mrs. Claire can just use protection if she doesn't want to get pregnant, right?"

Claire admired Cecilia's expression, her red eyes gleaming with an unparalleled pleasure.

"Of course not!"

"Why... why?"

"Miss Cecilia, when you eat crème brûlée, do you prefer the kind that's overflowing with cream, so much so that it bursts out of the shell, or the kind that's completely empty of cream?"

"Of course I like it full."

"Me too, Miss Cecilia!"

"?"

Cecilia fell asleep filled with suspicion.

Chapter 57 Your Next Child, Why Must It Be Human?

Bergen Station, Platform L2.

"The express train from London to Bergen, Norway is pulling into the station. Please prepare to disembark safely. When disembarking, please take care of any elderly people, children, or persons under your guardianship. Please keep your carry-on luggage safe..."

The whistling of the steam train grew louder as it approached, and the announcement from the train station echoed across the platform.

Surprisingly, Platform L2 had been cleared out. The huge platform was completely deserted, not even a single person was there, not just passengers, but even the station staff. Only a white-haired woman leaning against a platform support pillar was looking down at her phone.

Then the train stopped, its heated silhouette creaking for several minutes before the hissing steam finally ceased. It was a prestigious privately owned train, entirely red and black, with even the doors framed by thick ironwork. Inside, the carriages were lavishly decorated with red plush carpets, rosewood furniture, and platinum wallpaper with intricate patterns on the walls.

It is magnificent yet has a touch of antiquity.

Because this type of train is clearly in the style of a century ago, in the era when trains were first developed, many wealthy people traveled on such private trains, which were luxuriously furnished and could be used for stays of several days or even months. It was the standard equipment for nobles and entrepreneurs at that time.

But now it's 1996. Trains have long since reached every household, and the aristocratic trains are a thing of the past. Only those ancient nobles with "traditional" ideas still promote this dignity, such as the British royal family, the German royal family, and so on... or those aristocratic families that have been passed down for thousands of years, who are proud of their bloodline, put on an aristocratic air, and are arrogant all day long, with aesthetic styles that are decades behind the times.

A black box emerged.

Claire ignored the box and looked at the photo in her hand. The photo showed a silent, secluded room, bathed in pale blue light from top to bottom. In the center of the room was a huge culture tank filled with life-sustaining nutrient solution, inside which was a girl curled up with her knees drawn up to her chest.

“I remember that at first only the Kaslana family had white hair. How come, out of nowhere, the descendants of the three major families have all started to have white hair?” Claire looked at the girl, who looked about seven or eight years old, in the culture jar and said softly, “My Bubu, the saintess of the Shaniat family, the Apocalypse family… and you.”

The box stood in front of her, and then it spoke, its tone rather childish and soft, but revealing an adult's wisdom, "In biological history, this is called convergent evolution. The more powerful Valkyries tend to become more similar, not only in their style of doing things, but also in their appearance."

Blatant nonsense.