"Mhm."
Raiden Ei nodded, her gaze carrying a hint of earnestness. "I can tell the difference without looking too closely, but if you truly wish to see for yourself, I suppose there is no harm in showing you."
"Eek!"
The mont Kiana heard those words, her face flushed a deep crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She had only ant it as a joke!
While it was true she really wanted to reach out and touch, she never expected Ei to actually agree!
"Wait, wait! I—I was just talking!" Kiana, who had been acting like a bold little predator just a mont ago, suddenly beca incredibly shy.
She looked exactly like her early days as the Schicksal Valkyrie—the way she'd get all flustered after you tapped her one too many tis once her affection was high enough. Quiet, obedient, and utterly adorable.
Looking at her, Ei couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia.
"Just talking? And yet, the look in your eyes just now seed quite serious. It felt as though you really wanted a closer look."
Ei spoke with a perfectly straight face, her tone laced with sincerity.
"I—I did not!" Kiana's confidence crumbled instantly. She looked like a guilty puppy, her bravado completely vanished.
She was exactly like those people in group chats who talk a big ga and act like total perverts online, only to turn into shy little bunnies who can't even make eye contact when they finally et up in real life.
"Then why is your face so red?"
That one question left Kiana utterly speechless. She could only cover her burning cheeks, inwardly cursing herself for skipping class today.
"Waaaaah! i, save !"
Seeing her like this, a playful, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Ei's lips.
Kiana and Theresa really were cut from the sa cloth—the "lovable idiot" cloth.
"i isn't here. Right now, there is only ."
Ei watched Kiana intently. Seeing her this flustered, she knew it was ti to stop teasing. She reached out and gently ruffled Kiana's hair.
Kiana looked up at Ei, lost and wide-eyed, her gaze locking with Ei's violet orbs. In that mont, Kiana realized deep down that Ei and i were truly different.
Even if Ei looked exactly like i did when the Herrscher took control of her body, they weren't the sa person.
And yet...
Watching the focused, serious way Ei looked at her, Kiana felt her heart skip a beat.
"Why... why are you looking at like that...?"
"Waiting for you to make a choice," Ei said, the corner of her mouth curling slightly.
"W-what choice...?"
Kiana's voice grew faint. She knew exactly what Ei was referring to, but she was too embarrassed to say it.
"To look, or not to look," Ei said softly. But seeing Kiana's eyes start to spin like dizzying spirals, she added gently, "However, if you cannot decide now... then it is fine to wait until later."
"..."
After hearing that, Kiana turned into the image of a bashful young bride. She sat stiffly on the sofa, obedient as could be, not daring to move a muscle.
That's more like it.
Ei felt a surge of playful satisfaction watching Kiana act so cute. Since she wasn't sure if she'd keep randomly swapping into her Raiden Shogun form, she figured she'd leave Kiana with this "unattainable goddess" mory.
Then, once she eventually transford into a Teyvat character...
She'd hit her with a massive emotional gut punch!
It would be the perfect replacent for Hiko's "Final Lesson." It would give Kiana the resolve to grow stronger, and Ei would get to enjoy the drama of it all!
Ei decided she was a goddamn genius.
As for Kiana, Ei had full faith that she'd be able to handle the heartbreak.
"The tea and snacks are ready."
Just then, Yae Sakura walked over carrying her handmade treats, placing several plates of exquisite wagashi on the coffee table.
"Whoa! They're so pretty!" Kiana acted like she'd just found a lifesaver. She imdiately shifted her focus to the sweets, reaching out to grab one.
"Wait. Wash your hands first." Ei reached out and pressed down on Kiana's hand.
The mont their skin touched, the tips of Kiana's ears turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Oh—okay, I got it!" Kiana practically sprang up from her seat and bolted toward the bathroom.
Ei watched her retreat, her smile widening.
Sakura sat down across from her, her expression turning quite serious.
"Ei."
"Yes?"
"You are... very gentle with Kiana."
That was putting it mildly. The way Ei was treating Kiana was practically straight out of a romance novel where the heroine just gives herself away.
"She is i's family. Naturally, she is soone I must protect."
"Is that so..." Sakura's gaze turned distant for a mont, as if she were lost in a mory.
Ei knew she was almost certainly thinking about Kallen. Given Sakura's personality, there was no need to worry about her thinking anything scandalous.
In truth...
If Kallen had ever actually tried anything with her back then, well... sothing interesting might have actually happened.
Pity one was an airhead and the other was a total blockhead.
"All clean!"
Kiana finished washing up in record ti and ca rushing back, eager for the sweets. However, just as she reached the coffee table, the dorm door swung open.
"Kiana! You brat, you skipped class again!!"
"Huh?! Hi-Hiko-sensei!"
"Let's go. You're coming back to class with !"
"Nooooo! I—I haven't even had my dessert yet!"
Amidst Kiana's tragic wails, she was promptly grabbed by the ear and dragged out of the dorm by Hiko.
"It seems... we'll be the only ones eating," Sakura said with a helpless smile as she looked at the table.
"Indeed..."
Night fell soon enough.
Everyone gathered in Bronya's bedroom, where Bronya was currently tinkering with a Homu virtual reality headset—the kind Ei had only ever seen in manga.
"This headset will help Kiana enter a virtual space to witness historical events firsthand. Imrsive learning will improve her chances of passing the makeup exam."
Bronya explained the tech with her usual serious deanor.
"Can we use it now?" Ei asked, feeling a spark of curiosity.
If she could, she wanted to try it on imdiately! Before she had crossed over into this world, she used to read old-school web novels. Back then, writers loved imagining future tech like virtual headsets that let people dive into MMOs.
The people who grew up on those stories were basically dinosaurs now—to the kids born after 2010, they probably seed like they belonged in a museum.
"Not yet."
Bronya shook her head slightly. "It still needs a full night of calibration. It will be ready for official use tomorrow."
"Bronya, you're so amazing..." Raiden i sighed softly, her eyes filled with admiration and pride.
What's with that look? Ei complained silently to herself. It felt like i was raising Bronya as if she were her own daughter.
-- --
T/N: The Main Character might truly be a nace.
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