"Are you hungry? Lunch just passed, didn't it? I don't believe you, Kiana, you didn't miss lunch, did you?"
"But I'm really hungry! I haven't eaten anything for like, minutes!"
Kiana patted her flat stomach, and the Valkyries around her looked on with envy.
They wished they had a metabolism like hers, where no matter how much they ate, they never gained weight. And speaking of which... how is it that Kiana's legs are so long? And how does her waist look so tiny, like she's missing a couple of ribs? Is that even normal?"
"Alright, alright. But the cafeteria and the dorm don't have anything now. How about we go out to eat?"
"Hmm? Great! We can go out and have some fun!"
As soon as Kiana heard that, she immediately jumped up in excitement and grabbed Elias, pulling him outside.
The rules at St. Freya Academy were quite strict, given that it was a military academy. Students were only allowed to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, unless it was a special case.
But Kiana, the little paramecium, was always yearning for freedom, and she frequently sneaked out by climbing the walls.
Even though every time she came back late, Theresa would lecture her, it was always the same routine: "I've learned my lesson," and then she'd sneak out again.
"Come on, hurry up, Elias! I know a new shop has opened up at the food street! We can't miss it!"
"Alright, alright. Slow down! The shop isn't going anywhere. Mei, we'll be back late today. Don't bother saving us dinner."
"I know, Elias. Have fun."
Mei waved at Elias with a smile, then began thinking about how much food to order with one less person for dinner.
Seeing her expression, Rita curiously asked,
"Miss Mei, you're so generous. As Elias' girlfriend, don't you feel jealous?"
"Hehe, I don't need to be jealous of Kiana. After all, how could a woman be jealous of her boyfriend's cat?"
"A cat? Ah~ I see, that's a very fitting metaphor."
Rita paused for a moment before smiling softly.
Mei was silent for a while, then continued, "But speaking of Kiana, there's actually someone much more worthy of my attention standing right in front of me."
"Hmm? Are you talking about me?"
"Rita, what do you think?"
These days, Rita had seemingly become Elias' shadow, following him wherever he went. Their interactions were reminiscent of a charming young heir and his most trusted maid. Many in the academy were already speculating about this pair.
"Rita doesn't quite understand what you mean. After all, I'm just Elias' personal maid. Without orders, of course I have to follow him wherever he goes."
"You might be right, but Elias doesn't need a maid. He only needs me."
Mei's declaration was firm, like an official proclamation.
"Oh? Do you think you're more capable of taking care of him than I am, Miss Mei?"
Rita continued to smile, effortlessly keeping the conversation light.
The surrounding Valkyries were on edge, sensing the tension between them. The Herrscher of Thunder and an S-rank Valkyrie were both forces to be reckoned with, and neither side was one they could stop.
At the same time, the girls clenched their fists in excitement. Gossip! Drama! The conflict between two women over the same man! Ah~ this is such a juicy, sweet, and thrilling piece of gossip!
Life is precious!
Freedom is even more valuable!
For the sake of gossip, I'll toss it all away!
The love war between the Herrscher of Thunder and an S-rank Valkyrie, go ahead and fight! Fight! Please don't mind us, just get it over with!
"..."
Mei's hand had already moved to the hilt of her blade, and the red arcs of electricity flickered within the scabbard. Her eyes were full of intense vigilance as she stared at Rita.
Rita was the first girl she had ever met who could rival, no, perhaps even slightly surpass her in terms of feminine charm!
And she could even use her position as a maid to spend every day by Elias' side, openly, and even for longer than Kiana, his girlfriend, could.
Is that even fair?
Lately, Mei had clearly noticed that Elias had been getting lazy, and the reason? Rita had spoiled him!
She did all the chores—tidying up the bedroom, doing the laundry and cooking, and even offering her lap as a pillow for Elias to nap on. While these things could be considered part of a maid's duties, they were absolutely not within Mei's tolerance!
(This is outrageous! First, she offers her lap as a pillow, and next, will she be sharing a bed with him too? To think that someone would make Elias so lazy…)
(This is something I should be doing! I'm the one who should be spoiling him until he becomes lazy and indulgent!)
It wasn't just Mei who was upset.
Even the Herrscher of Thunder, Mei, found herself struggling with this situation.
(Rita Rossweisse, is it? Do you, a mere maid, think you can take what belongs to the Queen? If you do, then I won't let you off!)
Boom! Boom! Boom—!
Suddenly, the once-clear sky rumbled with thunder. While Mei still wore a polite smile, her red demonic horns began to grow.
"Miss Mei's expression is really scary."
"Is it? Rather than worry about my expression, Rita, how about you come and spar with me? I'm quite curious about the strength of an S-rank Valkyrie."
"Well, if you insist... of course, I'll accept."
Rita summoned her battle scythe, and at the same time, the fourth-generation Godsbane Suit, Argent Knight: Artemis, was equipped.
Rather than backing down or being intimidated, the maid was fired up, standing tall and strong in front of Mei's dominant presence.
(Although the chances of winning against a Herrscher are slim, but... I don't want to back down today. Miss Mei, if anything happens to you during this fight, don't worry, I will take good care of Elias in your place.)
"...You've got guts, Rita. It seems like you don't intend to stay just a maid anymore."
"Well, I would never abandon my role as a maid, but... I do want something more from him now."
Rita narrowed her eyes, her power limited to serving a single master. So, for the mistress? Well... let's just say there's no need for any extra distractions.
Mei's eye twitched. The two exchanged a glance. It was clear now that they were on opposing sides!
And thus, a duel under the guise of a sparring match began.
Mei: "This is the time for your extinction!"
Rita: "I will maintain the maid's dignity!"
Looking at the entire training room shaking slightly, Himeko, the oldest Valkyrie present, could do nothing.
Himeko: "I hope these two don't go too hard and end up destroying the training room. Though, if one of them gets a little too excited and some paramecium decides to sneak attack... heh, what am I thinking? That could never happen."
Thinking of Kiana's silly face, Himeko felt reassured.
With her intelligence, Kiana trying to pull off a sneak attack would be about as successful as randomly picking a lottery ticket that wins a hundred billion.
Though, it seemed Himeko had forgotten that Kiana was incredibly lucky... for a paramecium. Ten consecutive yellow lights? Pfft, easy. Ten full golds? That was a regular thing for her.
...
"Why does it feel like this wall just got higher?"
"...Kiana, are you seriously telling me you can't get over this height? Do you need me to lend you a hand?"
"Elias, don't underestimate me! This height is nothing! I can jump over it even if you double it!"
Kiana stepped on the wall and leaped into the air, grabbing the edge of the wall with both hands and flipping over to the outside world.
Clearly, she was a seasoned escapee, skillfully finding the quickest route to the shopping street and dragging Elias along. They looked like naughty kids running away from home.
Kiana sniffed the air, closing her eyes as she walked toward the strongest smell of food.
"Kiana, are you a dog? Come back here!"
"Oi! Elias, what are you doing?!"
Elias grabbed the braid of her hair and pulled it back, thinking to himself that while he forgot the leash in his rush to leave, at least he could use this braid as a substitute. He couldn't just let Kiana run wild.
"Kiana, you're not seriously going to walk down the street like this, are you?"
"Hmm? What's wrong with it?"
The paramecium tilted her head, unaware of the problem, and Elias sighed, undoing his school uniform to drape it over her.
"Don't you think your Valkyrie battlesuit is a bit... risque?"
"Huh?"
"While it's high-performance battlesuit, it looks like a tight white bodysuit. If you walk around like this, you might get mistaken for a pervert."
"Eh?!"
Kiana finally understood why Elias had grabbed her. She hugged her chest, realizing her outfit was revealing her body's curves too much after putting on White Comet. Her face turned bright red.
Though Kiana was bold, she was still a pure-hearted girl, and noticing this made her feel embarrassed.
"Elias, stop looking."
"What? I'm just being a gentleman. I've already seen it countless times, so what does it matter now?"
"Ah, you're right..."
After hearing him, Kiana scratched her head and stopped covering herself. They lived under the same roof and she always walked around in front of him like this, so what was there to be embarrassed about?
The only thing she hadn't shown him yet was when she wasn't wearing anything.
And even though she still felt a little embarrassed with Elias' gaze on her, Kiana didn't feel any rejection.
"Let's go. I'll take you shopping for clothes."
"Clothes? Awesome!"
Kiana's eyes sparkled. She hadn't bought new clothes in a while, and usually, she just wore her Valkyrie uniform or White Comet. On her days off, she stayed in her pajamas all day.
Elias lovingly patted her head. He was looking forward to seeing this new look on Kiana.
Thankfully, Valkyries made good money, and as captain, Elias' salary was even higher. With his current wealth, he could easily buy out an entire clothing store.
"Today, I'm treating, Kiana."
"Really? Elias, you're so generous! I won't hold back then!"
"It's nothing. If I run out of money, I'll just leave you behind to wash dishes."
Elias joked, and with the power of the Herrscher of Reason, he could have any amount of money he wanted, though he would never resort to counterfeiting.
The two of them walked into the biggest clothing store on the shopping street and started their shopping spree, buying anything they liked.
Everyone in the store was stunned by Elias' lavishness. Many girls looked at Kiana with envy, wondering if she was a family member or a girlfriend.
They looked at Elias and then at their own boyfriends and felt like they had made a hasty decision when agreeing to their own relationships.
"Elias, Elias! How about this one?"
"It's perfect. Buy it."
"And this one? I rarely wear long skirts."
"Looks great. Buy it."
...
Kiana eagerly picked up a pile of clothes and began trying them on. Even though she was usually carefree and silly, she was still a beautiful girl, and beautiful girls couldn't resist pretty clothes.
Finally, Elias chose a white princess dress for her, packed away her White Comet suit, and had the store send the rest of the clothes she bought that couldn't be worn at the same time back to the academy.
Kiana struck a few poses in front of the mirror, then turned to Elias with her hands on her hips.
"Elias, compliment me! I look good, don't I?"
"Kiana, you're the cutest in the world!"
Elias immediately answered without hesitation.
"Hehe~ If anyone dares to dirty my clothes today, they're dead!"
Kiana made a finger-gun gesture, confidently declaring.
After a few moments of hesitation, Elias walked over and released her braid.
Her snow-white hair cascaded down her back, instantly raising Kiana's charm to a whole new level.
The entire store seemed to become brighter.
Honestly, braids weren't the most flattering hairstyle—it worked only for someone as stunning as Kiana.
But when her hair was let loose like this...
The girl truly transformed into a princess.
She wasn't a duckling; right now, she truly looked like a beautiful swan. Even Elias couldn't help but feel a little dazed.
"Elias, why did you undo my hair?"
"It looks better this way, I like it."
"...Well, if you like it, I'll keep it like this from now on."
Kiana blushed, caught off guard by Elias' straightforwardness. She secretly mumbled in her heart.
(It's not just because Elias likes it. I suddenly wanted to change my hairstyle, and it looks good when it's loose like this. Plus, I don't have to spend time braiding it every day. Yeah! I'll keep it like this from now on...)
Afterward, Elias changed into a new outfit.
Even if he didn't bother to try hard, he was still handsome.
But seeing Kiana beside him, so stunning, Elias felt that if he didn't change into something a bit more polished, he wouldn't match her at all.
So, after they both dressed up a little, they became the center of attention wherever they went.
On the streets, everyone turned to look at them. Seeing such an unbelievably good-looking couple, many people forgot to breathe in awe.
It was as if the prince and princess from a fairy tale had come to life. Elias, handsome, and Kiana, beautiful, both were breathtaking, making the onlookers feel like they were in love.
So...
"Hey, handsome, can I get your contact?"
"Are you two siblings?"
"Can I take a picture with you?"
"Hey, kid, I've got a way to save you at least thirty years of mistakes, want to hear it?"
Naturally, many people approached them, and most of them aimed their attention at Elias.
"Sorry, I have a girlfriend."
Not wanting these random NPCs to ruin his rare date with Kiana, Elias rejected them all. He even considered using his Fenghuang Down ability to alter everyone's memories on the street.
"Wow, Elias, you're really popular."
Kiana marveled at him, glad she didn't have to deal with such trouble. She didn't realize that every man who tried to talk to her was subtly warned off by Elias' gaze.
"Heh~ I should've invited Mei along. If she saw me with a girlfriend, maybe fewer people would approach us. If anyone does, I could just tell them to get lost!"
"Alright, in that case, I'll sacrifice myself to take Mei's place. If any women come over, I'll help you chase them away!"
Kiana confidently patted her chest.
"Oh? That would be a huge help."
"Hehe, no problem! But how should I do this? Should I block them with my body?"
"It's simple. Just hold onto my arm."
"That simple? Alright, leave it to me!"
Kiana awkwardly grabbed Elias' arm. She had only read about these things in shoujo manga.
Even though she had spoken so confidently, the moment she held his arm, she quickly became embarrassed.
Kiana shook her head, trying to motivate herself.
(Come on! Kiana, you can do this! Mei, don't worry! I'll make sure no bad women steal Elias from you... Ah, Elias smells so good... sniff sniff...)
Meanwhile, Mei, who was still fighting with Rita, couldn't help but feel a weight on her head.
It was as if she had unknowingly put on an invisible hat...
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