Interstellar Beastworld: Raising A Cub With My Mummy System!-Chapter 42: WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT EARTH?

"It taught me how to read people quickly, how to stay calm when someone is yelling at me, and how to solve problems when I do not have all the information." She glanced at Uriel. "It turns out those skills are useful in other situations as well."

Lyanna smiled slightly. "I imagine they are."

Alistair leaned back in his chair. "And what did you do when you were not working?"

Lin Yue thought about her old life, the small apartment, the weekends spent with friends, the cooking shows she watched even though she rarely cooked. "I spent time with my grandmother before she passed. She taught me calligraphy. I still practice when I can." She paused. "I also watched a lot of cooking shows. I never became a good cook, but I appreciated people who were."

"You have a grandmother who taught you calligraphy," Lyanna said. "That suggests a family that valued tradition. Where were your parents?"

Lin Yue felt the familiar ache, but she kept her voice steady. "My mother is still on Earth. My father left when I was young. My grandmother raised me as much as she did."

Lyanna nodded slowly, as if filing away information. "And now you are here, on a world you never knew existed, with a child and a man you barely had time to know. How are you finding it?"

Lin Yue looked at Uriel, then back at his mother. "It is overwhelming. But I am learning. The estate is beautiful. The staff has been kind. And Auriel..." She looked at the baby in Lyanna’s arms. "He makes everything worth it."

Alistair watched her for a moment, then asked, "What do you miss most about your world?"

Lin Yue considered the question carefully. "The food. I miss vegetables. And the stars, oddly enough. Here, there are two moons and the sky looks different. I am getting used to it, but sometimes I look up and feel like I am somewhere I was not meant to be."

Lyanna’s expression softened. "That feeling fades. It takes time, but it fades. I was not born in this planet either. I came from a smaller house, a smaller world. It took years before I stopped feeling like a guest in my own home."

Lin Yue looked at her with surprise. She had not expected that from a queen.

Uriel spoke, his voice quiet. "She is adapting faster than I expected. She has already asked to take over managing the estate accounts."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Managing accounts?"

"I need something to do," Lin Yue said, a little defensively. "I am not good at sitting still."

Lyanna laughed. "Then you will fit in well here. No one in this family knows how to sit still."

Auriel stirred in her arms, letting out a small sound. Lyanna looked down at him, her expression softening further. "He is hungry," she said, handing him back to Lin Yue. "And I think we have asked enough questions for one day."

Lin Yue took Auriel and settled him against her chest. The baby’s fussing quieted almost immediately.

Alistair watched the exchange, then looked at his son. "She handles him well."

"She’s a fast learner." Uriel said. "She has been doing this for two days."

"Two days." Lyanna repeated. "And already she is running the household accounts and managing a newborn."

Lin Yue felt her face warm. "I am trying."

Lyanna smiled, and this time it reached her eyes. "That is all anyone can ask." She stood, smoothing her dress. "We will stay for dinner, if you will have us. And then we will leave you to your new life."

Alistair stood as well, his hand finding his wife’s. He looked at Lin Yue one more time. "We will have more questions. But they can wait. Today, we came to meet our grandson. And to meet you."

Uriel rose, pulling Lin Yue gently to her feet. "Then let us have a proper visit soon. There will be time for everyone and questions of course.."

They settled in the sitting room, the afternoon light streaming through the tall windows.

Lyanna sat with Auriel still in her arms, her attention moving between the baby and Lin Yue with quiet assessment.

Alistair sat beside his wife, his eyes fixed on his grandson for a long moment before he turned his gaze to the woman across from him. Uriel sat close to Lin Yue, his knee almost touching hers. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Alistair was the first to break the comfortable silence. "I would like to speak with you privately," he said, looking at his son. "In your study."

Uriel glanced at Lin Yue, who nodded almost imperceptibly. He stood, and his father rose with him. They left the room together, the door closing softly behind them.

Lyanna watched them go, then turned to Lin Yue with a slight smile. "They will talk for a while. My husband likes to give advice whether it is asked for or not."

Lin Yue shifted slightly in her seat, suddenly aware that she was alone with the Queen of Primus. "I am sure Uriel appreciates it."

Lyanna’s smile widened. "He pretends otherwise, but he listens. He always has." She looked down at Auriel, who had begun to stir. "May I hold him a little longer? I have not held a child this small in years."

"Of course," Lin Yue said, surprised by the warmth in the Queen’s voice.

Lyanna cradled Auriel more securely, her expression softening. "He has Uriel’s nose. And his chin. I remember holding Uriel just like this, thinking he was the most precious thing I had ever seen." She looked up at Lin Yue. "It is the same with grandsons, I find."

Lin Yue did not know what to say to that, so she said nothing.

Lyanna continued, her voice lighter. "You handle him well. Many new mothers are terrified the first few days. You seem... calm."

"I am terrified," Lin Yue admitted. "I just hide it well."

Lyanna laughed, a genuine sound. "Then you will fit in with this family. We are all experts at hiding what we feel. Though that’s not the best approach.."