Playing her game, Sirin entered the large living room to wait for breakfast and spotted Zeke sitting on the sofa, stroking his chin with one hand while examining an unknown crystal with the other.
Beside him were Secretary Raiden Mei and the newly appointed head maid Rita—two elegant beauties exuding grace and deference.
Sirin's steps paused momentarily.
The morning sunlight illuminated near Zeke's feet as he pondered, his profile appearing strikingly thoughtful and profound. His handsome appearance conveyed a sense of solidity and security akin to a mountain.
"...Pretending so early in the morning, hmph!" Sirin grumbled, masking the momentary skip of her heartbeat with a scowl.
Rita and Raiden Mei glanced at Sirin briefly before turning their attention back, quietly awaiting Zeke's instructions.
Zeke completely ignored Sirin's arrival and her feigned aloofness, focusing instead on scrutinizing the colorless crystal in his hand. After a long moment, the corners of his lips curved upwards slightly as he said:
"Excellent, the quality of these artificial cores meets all standards. Since Dr. Ein devoted herself fully to research, the efficiency has indeed skyrocketed. Please inform her that I am highly satisfied."
As Zeke spoke, he handed the crystal to Rita.
Rita bowed and accepted the crystal with a smile towards Zeke.
"Dr. Einstein insists this achievement is not solely hers," she said. "Lord Fuxi and Lady Nuwa's expertise in Honkai Energy played significant roles as well. She hopes you will acknowledge their contributions too."
"Certainly, I'm aware of their involvement. Please inform Mobius that once Fuxi and Nuwa have freed up their time, we can officially initiate the 'Intelligent Armed Doll' and 'Soul-Bearing Doll' projects. Mei, draft a formal command document and post it to the Central System."
"Yes, sir!" Both Rita and Mei bowed in acknowledgment before stepping back simultaneously at Zeke's gesture, brushing past Sirin on their way out.
Sirin remained standing, her expression sullen. Eventually, she lounged on the sofa, engrossed in her game, with her delicate white feet pointed towards Zeke—a gesture she thought was insulting. In reality, those porcelain-like feet, with their round and shimmering toes subtly moving, felt more like a visual treat than an insult.
Zeke glanced over, his mood lifting appreciatively at the pleasing sight.
Apart from custom-made bodies like Hera's, most Soulium constructs adapt to the shape of the soul they house. Since Sirin and Kiana shared the same soul, in other words, these feet were identical to Kiana's.
Having spent many late nights intimately exploring them, Zeke was well aware of their charm and allure.
"Pervert!"
Sirin sensed his gaze and pulled her legs up, tucking her feet away as she glared at Zeke with gritted teeth.
Zeke, fresh off completing a significant project and mindful of Sirin's disagreeable nature, didn't let it bother him.
However, seeing his nonchalant reaction only further irked Sirin. Mockery flashed in her golden eyes as she sneered, "Where are your three human ornaments today?"
No doubt you've been treating them like beasts again, right? Filthy animal! Disgusting! Aware of the limitations imposed by this body, Sirin wisely swallowed those words to avoid unnecessary trouble, cursing silently instead.
Zeke hesitated, caught off guard by the question. While the truth was one thing, revealing such personal matters involving the three girls wasn't something he wanted to do casually. After a moment, stroking his chin, he gave a tactful response:
"Guess."
"I'm not playing guessing games with you!"
Sirin snorted and opened up her game on the terminal, intent on shifting her focus away from Zeke to grind more gear.
Zeke shook his head, finding it hard not to draw parallels between Sirin's intense gaming demeanor and Kiana's private lethargy. With a thoughtful expression, he slowly continued:
"We've studied the phenomenon of Herrschers' dual personalities. Typically, the Herrscher personality is born favored by Honkai, making them significantly stronger than their original counterpart. In cases of schizophrenia, it's common for the dominant personality to suppress the weaker one. Based on this, we can infer that under normal circumstances, the Herrscher's insane desire for destruction easily corrupts or even controls the Original personality. This internal conflict makes controlling Herrschers exceedingly difficult."
"...What?" Still engrossed in her game, Sirin glanced at Zeke, unsure what he was trying to convey.
Crossing his legs, Zeke interlaced his fingers and elaborated, "The Herrscher personality's overwhelming strength allows it to effortlessly influence the Original, but this effect can be reversed. The most typical example is Fu Hua."
"The newly born Herrscher of Sentience's personality was far weaker than Fu Hua's accumulated memories and mindset spanning ten thousand years. Consequently, before her destructive tendencies could manifest, Fu Hua's subconscious instantly reshaped Senti's self-identity."
"Senti should be grateful she is at least the Herrscher governing consciousness domains, possessing considerable mental fortitude. This allowed her to barely resist as Fu Hua's memories and thoughts were infused within her. Otherwise, upon awakening, it wouldn't have been Senti but another Fu Hua, identical to the original."
Zeke casually discussed these research findings, as if merely commenting on the changing weather—insights inaccessible to ordinary individuals.
Sirin gradually furrowed her brow, sounding increasingly impatient: "What exactly are you trying to say? If it's nothing important, shut up already! Don't interrupt my game!"
Despite her tough words, Sirin unconsciously tightened her grip on the terminal device, and her fingers paused momentarily over the gaming interface.
Fu Hua served as a classic example, but weren't Kiana and Sirin similar? Initially, Sirin was stronger while Kiana was weaker. Despite various factors leading to Kiana controlling their shared body for extended periods, she remained highly susceptible to Sirin's influence.
Now, with Kiana repeatedly defeating Sirin head-on, mastering the Sword Goddess, and acquiring the powers of the Herrscher of Flame—the balance of power between them had shifted. Despite her reluctance to admit it, Sirin couldn't deny this reality.
What does he want to say? What has he discovered? Did he find out that I also felt those... intimate moments when she was with that fool? Or perhaps he knows how I'm forced to mentally shake myself awake whenever that idiot gets all lovey-dovey?
As shameful thoughts raced through her mind, Sirin's pupils dilated.
Zeke slowly turned his gaze, silently staring into Sirin's eyes.
One second passed, two seconds passed... Over half a minute went by, yet he only watched without uttering a word.
"Hmph!"
"Hey! Y-you...you laughed, right?! What are you laughing about? Just what do you know?!" Sirin straightened up abruptly, her eyes wide with fear.
If Zeke indeed knew those secrets—she internally roared—someone would not leave this living room alive today.
But Zeke didn't give her time to compose herself and swiftly changed the topic.
"Recently, you've been obsessed with anime, spending money on games, following virtual streamers, and buying junk food. I must say, aside from your mother's private concerns, this otaku girl persona reassures everyone else—whether it's genuinely who you are or just a facade doesn't matter; either way, well done. Keep up the effort."
"Who did you call an otaku fatso?!"
Sirin leaped up, standing on the couch, angrily pointing at Zeke with fury.
She merely chose not to bother with those ants' opinions, instead indulging freely in offerings through Cecilia, that foolish woman. How does any of that make her an otaku fatso? She wasn't even remotely chubby!
"I, Sirin, Queen of the Void, the world's strongest and most dangerous Herrscher, the Judge of Humanity, will one day fulfill God's will and destroy mankind! I am no otaku fatso!"
"Sirin, how can you openly declare wanting to destroy humanity? That's behavior unfit for a good child, and Mom certainly won't approve!"
Cecilia had just arrived, stunned by Sirin's edgy proclamation. She grabbed Sirin's hand and earnestly began lecturing her, her face full of sincerity.
Sirin stood speechless.
"Good morning, Big Bro Zeke!"
"Morning, dear friend! Our most adorable fairy shines as brilliantly as the sunrise today, don't you think?"
"Zeke..."
The living room gradually became livelier.
With a dark expression, Sirin endured Cecilia's lecture, her gaze fixed gloomily on Zeke, trying to discern how much he had learned about their secrets. However, she couldn't read his thoughts at all.
"Sirin, did you hear what Mom said? We mustn't be so impulsive; we should strive to stay happy and gradually accept this world, okay?"
Just how much does he know?
"Sirin, Mom understands your frustrations, but I believe that together, with our efforts, we can surely..."
No! This is one thing he absolutely cannot find out!
"Sirin, listen to Mom..."
I can't confront him directly... Wait, will this stupid woman ever stop nagging? So annoying!
Cecilia continued her gentle, repetitive scolding, each word piercing Sirin's ears until finally, she accidentally crushed the terminal device in her hand.
'Tired of this world; indeed, it should have been destroyed sooner!'