The next morning, Hera left the temporary command base in the Far East with a cold expression.
The passing staff all glanced at her, but they uniformly lowered their voices, not daring to provoke this high-ranking authority figure from Schicksal.
However, last night's Honkai energy eruption, the golden light illuminating half of the night sky, Hera's current demeanor, and the absence of any high-ranking Anti-Entropy members sending her off—people are always good at imagining things. In many minds, a plot involving conspiracy, power struggles, and violent conflict had already formed.
...
At the same time, miles away by the seashore, Theresa, who had been standing there all night, looked toward the direction where Hera was leaving.
Sensing that familiar aura fading into the distance, she let out a faint sigh.
"Are you okay?"
A small head, like a ball of snow, suddenly peeked out from beside her.
The head was lowered, and a pair of crystal-clear blue eyes reflected Theresa's sad little face with worry.
"Kiana? Why are you here?"
"Sig said you might be feeling down, so I came to check on you... Even though I'm not your niece, we're still friends, right? If something's bothering you, you can talk to me."
Kiana blinked and smiled slightly.
Theresa froze for a moment, her lips curving up as she gently tapped Kiana's forehead.
"You little rascal, don't tell me you got kicked out by Sigurd for bothering him while he was resting?"
"Of course not! Not... okay, fine, he did kick me out of the room. But that's not important! You really seem a bit upset, did something happen?" Kiana muttered while fidgeting with her fingers, pouting.
Although she had disturbed Sigurd early in the morning, she couldn't help it! Whenever she woke up, she wanted to see him, and once she saw him, she wanted to hug him. She couldn't resist, and that wasn't her fault, right? It's normal for a girl to smother the man they love with hugs and kisses, right?
Theresa shook her head, smiling. After a night of contemplation, her mood had finally calmed down. Seeing Kiana's cute and somewhat childish behavior lightened her heart.
"Seeing you doing so well... I can finally be at ease."
"... I told you not to be too nice to me. I can't handle it."
Kiana shook her head, stubbornness in her voice.
In truth, she didn't want to claim the affection meant for the original Kiana.
She had her own reasons. Since she and the original Kiana looked so much alike, she didn't want Sigurd to treat the other Kiana with special care because of this.
If she avoided receiving the affection meant for the original Kiana, then Sigurd's love would belong entirely to her, without being divided between them.
But her rotten dad treated her well too, so she felt obligated to repay him somehow... Ah, what a headache!
Kiana tugged at her hair, feeling an inexplicable sense of competition with the original Kiana she had never even met.
"Actually, like you, I was also an experiment grown in a test tube."
Theresa turned to gaze at the sea, her tone calm as the cool ocean breeze blew around them.
Kiana blinked in confusion, her mouth hanging open.
"Huh?"
"We have similar origins, both experiments of Grandpa. So I can understand how you feel. Don't reject people's care because of your background. The people who care for you do so not because of anything else, but because you are simply you, Kiana."
Theresa didn't look back. Her silhouette, with the cross on her back, seemed frail and sorrowful.
But Kiana pursed her lips, feeling warmth in her heart.
"Thank you."
"You are my niece, whether you accept it or not. I've decided, so there's no need to thank me."
Theresa turned back with a gentle smile.
Just like Cecilia once did, regardless of Theresa's origin, she simply cared for her as a person and recognized her purely for who she was—nothing more, nothing less.
Kiana rubbed her nose and turned away, avoiding Theresa's smiling face. But her pink, full earlobes turned slightly red with embarrassment.
After a while, Kiana exhaled in relief and said, "It seems like you're feeling better now. Shall we go back and have breakfast?"
"Let me watch the sunrise by the sea for a little longer. I had a long dream last night, where I let go of many sad things... but that was just a fleeting happiness. I have to accept many things, like the fact that I've lost the person I treasured most, failed to protect another important person, and hid away for 18 years like a coward. But I owe that person so much. What should I do now?"
Theresa raised her hand toward the distant horizon, as if trying to grasp the rising sun. But of course, such an action was futile. She couldn't grasp anything.
Kiana stood there, at a loss for words, feeling uneasy.
She didn't quite understand what Theresa was talking about, nor did she grasp what Theresa had gone through or was thinking about.
Maybe she should go back and ask Sig to clarify everything first so she could comfort Theresa more effectively.
In any case, Theresa's current state made Kiana feel a bit worried.
"At the shore of the eastern sea, today I finally realize... I am me!"
At that moment, Theresa lowered her hand from the rising sun and smiled serenely.
Kiana was taken aback for a moment, chewing over that sentence before murmuring to herself, "Is that... a Buddhist saying?"
"Oh? You actually understand that?"
"I'm not dumb. I'm a good student. You have no idea how strict Sig is when it comes to studying. The courses are long and hard, and sometimes he adds even more just because he feels like it. I've lost track of how much I've studied."
Kiana said this with a hint of grievance, remembering the long nights spent rushing to finish her homework.
She couldn't help but want to kick Sig... but then again, maybe not. She couldn't bear to, plus he would probably hang her up and punish her.
Theresa burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
She laughed so hard that tears began to form.
"Hahaha! I can... I can picture that scene perfectly. No surprise—it's just like him! Good job! My niece should be this well-rounded and talented!"
"Stop laughing... If you don't, I'll get mad."
"Don't complain, Sigurd is really doing it for your own good. Besides, with such a brilliant mind like his, if you don't study more, how will you keep up with him? You can't have him pondering the universe and truth while you're just thinking about cake and ice cream, can you?"
"That... actually makes sense."
Kiana thought for a moment, clapped her hands in realization, and nodded in agreement.
Exactly!
Although Sigurd probably wouldn't mind if she wasn't that smart, she didn't want to fall too far behind. At the very least, she wanted to be able to help him when he was troubled. Otherwise, she would end up disliking herself.
"Let's go back. I'm fine now. There are a lot of things I need to discuss with the people at Anti-Entropy."
"I heard something big happened last night. Was that you? Are you out here reflecting on it?"
"Sort of, yes. It has to do with me."
"I see... Mei was calculating the damages this morning. The mechas and drones destroyed last night were pretty expensive. Remember to pay it back!"
"Hey! You haven't even married yet, and you're already helping your little boyfriend dig into your aunt's wallet?"
"Hehe, it's called being honest. I don't want Sig to be taken advantage of!"
The two walked off, laughing and chatting.
Kiana, notably, didn't deny anything about getting married or having a boyfriend, nor did she refute the aunt-niece relationship.
The red light of dawn shone on the two of them, casting their intertwined shadows. It was a warm and comforting sight.
<+>
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