"Are you here to say goodbye to me?"
Goodbye?
Right. Her original plan had been to wrap things up and then head to Penacony for the appointment. She hadn't expected to end up staying with Herta and coming up with a new idea halfway through.
And Herta was someone who loved putting ideas into practice.
"Seems not."
There was no need for mind-reading. Kiana's brief moment of stunned silence was easy enough to understand. Ruan thought to herself that it seemed Kiana and Herta were indeed getting along quite well.
That made sense.
Although Herta had her own personality flaws, compared to the two of them, she was far more "normal."
Ruan herself needed no explanation.
She had a clear understanding of her own condition.
And what about Acheron?
She wasn't exactly normal either. Not just because she had walked too far down the path of Nihility and been influenced by it too deeply.
It was also because of her overly obsessive attitude toward Kiana—having lost her once and regained her, Kiana had become the sole pillar of her heart, the brightest color in her world.
Kiana was almost her only connection to this world. She had bound all her emotions to a single person.
On the surface, she seemed emotionally expressive, no different from an ordinary person. But compared to herself...
Was she really any better?
Compared to the two of them, whose personality flaws were glaringly obvious, Herta's slight narcissism and pride were hardly worth mentioning.
Kiana herself was lively and brimming with endless energy. It wasn't surprising at all that she could get along well with Herta.
Even so.
Ruan once again felt that faint, stifling sensation in her chest. She already knew what that emotion was.
"I missed you, so I wanted to see you!"
Not knowing what Ruan was thinking, Kiana hugged her a little shyly, rubbing affectionately against her cheek like a cat.
"I was worried before coming that you might be too busy and not have time for me."
"...You should know," Ruan turned her head slightly to look at her, her expression and tone both serious. "For you, I will always make time."
She didn't deny that she was indeed busy. To be honest, ever since leaving her secluded planet and agreeing to join Herta's Simulated Universe project, she hadn't had a single day free.
She believed Kiana should know.
No matter how much work she had on her hands, whenever Kiana came to see her, she would set everything aside first.
For her, that was already no small change.
"But I was afraid of disturbing you."
Burying her face in Ruan's chest, Kiana clung to her and acted spoiled, happiness practically overflowing and curling into the smile on her lips.
"The experiment is down to its final steps."
The faint irritation in Ruan's heart miraculously vanished the moment Kiana hugged her.
She gently stroked Kiana's white hair and continued, "Have you been staying with Herta these past few days?"
This was clearly a matter between the two of them. There was no need for her to know. And yet, Ruan couldn't quite suppress her curiosity.
She wanted to know what Kiana thought.
"I've been building a Honkai Simulated Universe with her," Kiana said, instinctively recalling what had happened not long ago. Still holding Ruan, her body stiffened for a split second, a flicker of guilt rising within her.
Who was Ruan?
Kiana's heartbeat had clearly quickened when she answered that question. That alone was enough to reveal her mood.
Ruan lowered her gaze. Her hand, covered by a thin, almost translucent glove, rested lightly on Kiana's arm. Feeling the muscles beneath her fingertips grow tense, she simply trailed her hand downward, brushing over her wrist before finally clasping her hand.
Seeing that Ruan was merely toying with her hand, Kiana let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
She had nearly thought Ruan would pin her down, repeat the previous question, and begin an interrogation.
"It's an experiment to see what kind of impact Honkai would have on the universe if it spread unchecked," Kiana continued, reining in her scattered thoughts.
"It seems she really is quite interested in you," Ruan said calmly, lowering her eyes as her thumb gently rubbed against Kiana's palm.
It was a little ticklish.
A tingling sensation traveled from her palm straight to her heart, and a faint flush rose on Kiana's face.
Simply holding hands wasn't particularly intimate.
But that kind of slow, absent-minded rubbing—even without desire—felt unbearably intimate.
"She's interested in Honkai," Kiana corrected softly.
Ruan lifted her eyes. When she looked at Kiana, her gaze remained gentle, her tone just as mild. "Only in Honkai?"
Was Herta only interested in Honkai?
Knowing Ruan could read minds, Kiana didn't dare think too much about what had just happened. She nodded seriously. "She's very interested in Honkai."
Pull yourself together, Kiana.
Don't blush. Don't panic. Hold it together!
Ruan fell silent for a moment. The hand holding hers tightened, and the softness in her eyes faded slightly. She simply looked at Kiana, calm and unreadable.
That quiet, storm-brewing expression was frightening.
"Ruan?"
Kiana didn't know what she had done to upset her. She swallowed hard, her mind racing.
Was it because she had avoided talking about Herta?
But if they really discussed it, would that make her happy?
"You two get along very well, don't you?"
"W-We're okay, I guess?"
Kiana's heart was in complete chaos now. She could already tell that Ruan's change in attitude was because of this.
But Ruan had clearly said...
No, that didn't conflict.
Her mind suddenly became sharp and clear.
"What do you think of her?" Ruan asked. "You've met her in person, haven't you?"
So that day when Ruan told her to go see Herta and not keep her waiting too long, she had known Herta herself was already at the space station?
"She..." Kiana looked at Ruan in front of her, choosing her words carefully. "She's a very interesting person."
That should be fine, right?
"...Interesting? Your evaluation is interesting as well." Ruan paused slightly, a faint smile curving at her lips. "Most of the time, she's the one judging others as interesting or not."
"Really? Hahaha..." Kiana laughed awkwardly. "Then I'm pretty honored."
"So you did it with her too, didn't you?"
The faint smile on Ruan's lips didn't fade in the slightest. In the most ordinary tone, she said words that sent a chill down Kiana's spine.
How did Ruan know?
"It seems I guessed correctly."
Ruan murmured to herself, her expression still calm. Only her grip on Kiana's hand tightened further.
"Ruan..." Kiana's panic spread through her entire body. Instinct screamed a warning at her.
Telling her that she was probably done for today.
"There's no need to be so nervous. I'm not accusing you of anything," Ruan continued. "It's just that, for some reason, knowing that you and her get along so well makes me feel a certain indescribable... jealousy."
Kiana's eyes widened.
If she weren't certain she was fully awake, she would have thought she had misheard.
How could Ruan... say something like that?
"Why would you think that?"
Forgetting the warning bells ringing in her mind, Kiana grabbed Ruan's hands, looking at her with both excitement and confusion.
She had only just confirmed her relationship with Herta recently. From a normal perspective, Ruan shouldn't have any reason to feel this way.
"I think..." Ruan pressed her lips together slightly, then said something that surprised Kiana even more. "It's because of love."
"L-Love?"
"Love gives rise to many things. It can also make a person become..." Ruan paused briefly.
Kiana lowered her head. "Ruan, I..."
Ruan lifted her chin and placed a kiss on her lips. "There's no need to feel guilty. I have no objections to your relationship with her."
"Ruan..."
"I love you, Kiana."
Kiana stared at her in shock. She hadn't expected her to say something like that here, at this moment.
"I love you too!" she responded immediately, hugging Ruan tightly. "I like you, Ruan. I want to be with you forever—no, for all time!"
Ruan closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she gently patted Kiana's shoulder, signaling for her to let go.
Though confused, Kiana obediently released her.
Ruan quietly studied her face, her gaze moving over her brows, her eyes, her nose—leaving no detail untouched.
"As expected..."
Hearing that near-whisper, Kiana perked up, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
As expected what?
Cradling Kiana's face, Ruan offered no explanation. Instead, she leaned in and kissed her again.
Something soft yet forceful slipped past her lips.
Kiana tensed, grabbing onto Ruan. The familiar sensation brought back memories from not long ago.
Herta had done the same.
Her body was wrapped in Ruan's gentle kiss, yet her mind was dragged back to those recent memories. Past and present collided, and her senses felt magnified countless times over.
Ruan pulled back slightly, her eyes dark as she looked at her. "Between you and Herta... no."
Her fingertip brushed lightly across Kiana's damp lips, her voice tinged with a displeasure that had never been there before.
"It seems that every time you're with me, you think of someone else."
Kiana's heart jolted, and she hurried to explain. "Ruan, I—"
"No need to explain." Ruan pressed a finger against her lips and lowered her gaze. "I know what to do in situations like this."
"Close your eyes, Kiana."
"Calm yourself."
"Feel it properly. Remember this moment—the feeling I give you."
"Don't forget."
There seemed to be a strange magic in Ruan's voice. Completely defenseless before her, trusting her entirely and opening herself without reservation, Kiana slowly closed her eyes within the kiss.
Close her eyes. Feel it.
...
On the way back, Kiana was in a daze, her mind still lingering on what had just happened.
She had gone to the containment zone to find Ruan.
She had seen Tingyun after being modified, and the True Stings that had escaped the lab, lurking in the shadows.
And then... she had met Ruan.
She had heard her say something she had never imagined she would say—that she felt jealousy.
The object of that jealousy...
Was Herta?
Even now, Kiana still couldn't understand it. She didn't know why Ruan would say such a thing.
Because of love, one might reject rivals and feel jealousy. That wasn't strange. But the key point was—when she had been with Mei, Ruan had never said anything like this.
She had even...
Kiana thought of that incident that made her teeth ache, and she pressed a hand to her faintly throbbing forehead.
Ruan didn't exclude Herta either, so why was it this matter in particular...
Because they were both members of the Genius Society?
Lost in her own thoughts the entire way, she paid no attention to who she passed or what she saw.
Not until she returned to Herta's office.
In front of the Simulated Universe device, a beautiful figure stood there quietly, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
It was Herta.
The moment she saw her, Kiana's heart skipped a beat. Her first reaction wasn't joy, but the urge to turn and run.
"Oh? Isn't this our busy little star?"
Herta didn't give her the chance. She slowly turned from the Simulated Universe device and looked down at the white-haired girl frozen in the doorway, unable to move forward or retreat.
"You must be in a great mood after seeing Ruan, huh?" Herta smiled, though her tone carried a sharp edge. "Why don't you tell me what good things just happened?"
Kiana covered her mouth with a cough, her gaze drifting. "You're back."
"Don't waste time stating the obvious." Herta stepped down, walking toward her.
Her boots echoed against the floor in the empty office. Each step felt like it was pressing down on Kiana's heart.
"Well... since you're back, let's continue the work from earlier."
Kiana had no intention of standing there waiting for death.
She quickly walked forward—not toward Herta, but toward the area where they had been building the Honkai Simulated Universe.
She looked full of energy, as if she could work overtime for ten days straight.
Herta narrowed her eyes at her retreating figure, then changed direction and followed behind her at an unhurried pace.
Kiana could feel Herta's gaze burning into her back. Knowing she was being watched made her body stiffen, to the point where she nearly started walking with the same hand and foot.
The moment she had told Herta she was going to find Ruan—and then realized something was off—she had already understood.
There was no way today would end peacefully.
But to not even struggle, to just sit there and wait for death—that wasn't Kiana's style.
Changing locations only made her more uneasy. Looking at the device in front of her, she suddenly had no idea where to begin.
What should she do?
The person behind her stepped closer.
Herta bent slightly, lowering her head beside Kiana's ear. "Looks like you've done something guilty."
"That's not something guilty!"
Just feeling Herta's presence closing in around her made Kiana instinctively hold her breath, though she still stubbornly argued.
Think positively. Whether Herta knew or not, it was just the difference between dying once or dying twice.
"You're right. It's not something guilty."
Herta placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into her arms, the curve of her smile unsettling. "Is it that I didn't satisfy you?"
She said, "You couldn't wait to leave as soon as you woke up—to go find Ruan?"
"Hm? Why aren't you talking anymore?"
"Go on. I'm listening very carefully."
Cold sweat broke out on Kiana's forehead. No matter what she said now, she couldn't escape death—just a matter of dying once or twice.
"If you won't speak, then I will."
Twisting a strand of Kiana's white hair around her finger, Herta's smile didn't reach her eyes. "First of all, I'll admit—I was wrong. I miscalculated and failed to satisfy you. But don't worry. That kind of low-level mistake won't happen again."
Her fingers tightened around Kiana's hand one by one as she spoke, each word deliberate.
"Satisfying one's lover is the most basic responsibility. You can rest assured—from now on, such mistakes will never happen again. I will make sure to satisfy you... completely."
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