Absolutely.
That kind of temperament was certainly safer.
But!
It was also way more difficult to handle.
Elysia said she wasn't just a recluse, but also timid; if you weren't careful, she'd bolt.
Back then, Elysia had to put in a ridiculous amount of effort.
Kiana pondered this for a moment, getting a clear picture in her head.
Miss Herrscher of Heavenly Punishment was a reckless, simple-minded brawler. Now tamed, she's a total homebody.
Miss Herrscher of Streaming Winds was free-spirited and feared death. She seemed to just drift along, but she was genuinely happy to be alive.
So she was all bark and no bite.
Now, she's a homebody too.
And don't even get started on the Herrscher of the Void.
She'd claim 'I don't use human things,' but in reality, she'd gotten scarily good with some of them.
And then!
There was this Ana.
Socially anxious, reclusive, scared of strangers!
But once you really broke through and entered her heart...
She'd become incredibly clingy.
Anyway, right now!
Elysia felt that family ought to stick together, so she had the Herrscher of Falling Ice move into the "prison" too.
That Herrscher of Falling Ice was just so docile.
Whatever you said, she'd go along with.
But the moment she moved in, without a word to anyone, she used her authority to seal off her entire cell.
No sound could get in, and you couldn't see inside.
No one had a clue what she was doing in there. She'd built herself a fortress of solitude.
Miss Herrscher of Heavenly Punishment and the others complained, saying this new 'little sister' had no sense of decorum.
They were all inmates here, and they'd been here first. Forget paying her respects, but when they invited her to play games, she wouldn't even join?
How boring.
"So the truth is, aside from me, she doesn't want to see anyone."
Elysia spread her hands, a little helpless.
"I helped her get most of her stuff set up. She has zero life skills. What a dummy."
If the Herrscher of Falling Ice were a guy, do you think she'd be like this?
But precisely because the Herrschers in the Imaginary Prison, and even that Miss Sesha, were all girls, every one of them super pretty...
That's why she had this kind of patience!
Kiana left these matters to her, and she was handling them, bit by bit.
Looking at it now.
Those who get it, get it!
Rather than a prison...
It was more like a special kind of girls' dormitory.
Elysia was the dorm manager. Kiana certainly didn't have the temperament for it.
The kind of girls she liked were more the independent, fun types. The characters from the works she loved in her previous life—precisely because she knew them from before, she didn't worry much about them.
If they were truly unfamiliar characters, she wouldn't even consider it.
Otherwise, every interaction, every effort to understand and get along, would be a hassle. She wasn't too keen on taking risks.
Perhaps.
This was also why Kiana mostly left dealing with those Herrscher girls to Elysia.
Because in her eyes, she wasn't familiar with those girls. Even with familiar faces, they were unfamiliar people.
Observing, leaving them be...
Slowly getting around to accepting them later...
That was fine too!
See?
Even in situations like this, she'd still procrastinate if she could.
Anyway, there was plenty of time in the future. It was better to focus on the girls right in front of her.
Like Elysia, Jyahnar...
Eden...
And Aponia, the Sakura twins, etc...
Mobius and Vill-V, of course, counted too!
Just thinking about it made it obvious.
Those future wives she'd exposed in the Sky Screen—it looked like she'd scooped them all up, but in reality, it wasn't certain they'd actually end up together.
She was just putting a stamp on it, getting a preliminary certificate. Whether it worked out, or how it worked out, was a matter for later.
It was all about leaving a sense of anticipation.
Today.
Kiana finished the video.
With nothing else pressing...
She informed Fire Moth, telling them to notify the world as usual. Around 7 PM, the Sky Screen would appear again.
She just hoped everyone could balance work and life and not let it disrupt them.
Needless to say!
The moment this news broke, the whole world went wild.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh! It's finally here!"
"I was literally going to die without the Sky Screen!"
"I wonder what content will be revealed today?"
"A major historical event? Or an important historical figure? I hope it's from our world."
By now.
Everyone knew the future exposed in the Sky Screen was no longer this world's future.
The spoilers it provided were more about revealing information and understanding situations, because these core details were less likely to change and could be used for reference.
The more specific people and events... Well, that was open to interpretation!
They could be used for reference, but shouldn't be taken as absolute truth.
Not to mention, the Vtuber in the previous video had already warned them.
The content discussed from now on would mostly be true, but there could also be falsehoods. She wouldn't bother searching for historical proof anymore; it would be more casual talk.
She'd also put some effort into creating video clips or short animations to better illustrate what she wanted to say.
That was fine.
Precisely because of the existence of "History Fictionologists" in the future.
Looking back at the present from tens of thousands of years in the future, what was real? What was fake?
Opinions truly varied.
Having controversies was fine.
Even if there were disputes, as long as they led to a clash of ideas, uncovering more information and digging deeper into the content...
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing!
Just like Himeko and Fu Hua, who always felt it was quite unlikely they'd both marry the "Young Lady". Unless... the Young Lady insisted strongly. Only if their weak resistance couldn't overcome her determination would they possibly agree.
But right now.
The Young Lady herself was a bit overwhelmed.
Just handling the few at home was already stretching her thin.
If you don't have the skills...
What business do you have running a harem?!
Perhaps.
The parts concerning them were probably fabricated?
But they weren't too bothered by it.
Lately, with others intentionally or unintentionally matchmaking and helping, they'd been spending more time around the Young Lady, and their relationship with her had improved.
Some people hoped the future they'd seen so far was the real future.
But others hoped it wasn't. They wanted something better; they wanted to change it.
However!
This also had little to do with Kiana.
She had anchored a future, as mentioned before, providing a possibility, making it easier for you to reach that goal. But it wasn't mandatory nor set in stone.
It was always meant to open up that small possibility.
She wouldn't ever twist anyone's will.
The future influencing the present was in terms of growth.
Rapidly improving strength, abilities, and so on—that was the real effect.
They were still themselves.
Things like personality and way of thinking weren't part of that package.
Whether you agreed with it or not, without the corresponding experiences, you wouldn't become that way.
No one remains unchanging.
Kiana was no exception.
Even if watching the videos did cause them to become gentler, more to Kiana's liking...
That wasn't a bad thing for Kiana either.
It was because they saw it, thought about it, and chose that outcome, wasn't it?
Changing yourself as much as possible for the one you love, to become better...
That in itself is a choice.
Kiana would change because of Elysia and the others.
Naturally, Elysia and the others would also change because of Kiana.
It was inherently mutual.
No one was inherently nobler than anyone else.
In the process of interacting, the most basic, the absolute essential, was respect!
Don't you agree?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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