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Kiana woke amidst a comforting warmth.
"Mm... Zeke..."
Within the bed, remnants of familiar warmth and scent lingered; it was precisely his departure that stirred her awake.
"Sigh..."
Slowly sitting up, Kiana felt an unfamiliar stinging sensation, causing her to furrow her brow uneasily yet blushingly smile with sweetness.
She lay back down, lifting her left hand where a ring adorned with a serene blue gemstone rested on her slender, fair-skinned ring finger.
It was Zeke's ever-present "Key of Judgment."
Naturally, Kiana lacked the qualifications to harness the full power of this Divine Key. However, Zeke had implemented certain measures allowing the Divine Key to serve as an auxiliary tool for her. It enabled Kiana to perceive events from higher-dimensional perspectives—simply put, it helped her visualize attacks originating from spatial distortions, enabling her to evade or even counterattack effectively.
Ultimately, Zeke didn't explicitly permit or deny her use of it; however, by leaving this ring behind, he implicitly conveyed his compromise and tacit consent.
"Red bean soup for replenishing your blood."
As Kiana absorbed herself studying the ring, she heard a monotonous voice beside her, carrying its signature rich milky aroma.
"Wah! When did you come in?!"
"While you were spacing out, Kiana."
"You...you...why'd you suddenly barge in?"
"I wanted to check if Kiana needed fresh sheets—or perhaps even a new bed?" Bronya said expressionlessly, glancing at Kiana's partially exposed body. From beneath the corner of the blanket, as expected, a hint of deep crimson peeked through.(Note: "伴" is not a typo but used intentionally instead of "半" due to censorship concerns.)
Following Bronya's gaze, Kiana hastily covered that area, her face flushing red, including her cute, fair ears.
"No need to be shy, Bronya has been through it too." Bronya subtly puffed out her gently undulating chest, maintaining a composed demeanor.
Kiana's face turned even redder—this time out of anger.
"Get lost!"
"Don't be so stubborn, Kiana. Bronya knows Zeke's physical condition well enough. Drink this soup; it'll help replenish your blood."
Bronya held up a bowl of red-bean soup with one hand and flashed a thumbs-up with the other.
Steam practically rose from Kiana's head at that point.
Why oh why did this short little runt have such shameless nerve?!
After stewing for quite some time, unable to get through to Bronya, Kiana reluctantly accepted the red-bean soup and sulkily took a sip.
"(╯▽╰) It's so sweet~"
"Bronya's special blend. Don't hold back, there's plenty more where that came from."
"How did you know about yesterday...yesterday..."
"...the incident?"
"When something like that happens, if Kia doesn't reach out to Zeke, he naturally comes looking for her. Bronya was merely keeping a discreet eye on things. I didn't anticipate what followed, though. I must admit, Kia has improved—you're starting to make me feel threatened now."
"Pfft!" Kiana rolled her eyes.
As if you're really concerned, you sneaky little vixen! Besides, Zeke had already set things straight with them—no one would dare kick Bronya out now.
Kiana slurped down the red bean soup and handed back her empty bowl. "I want more!"
"Bronya should've anticipated this; I should've brought the whole pot earlier."
"Well, then go fetch it again. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Kiana hugged her blanket around herself, blinking innocently.
Bronya sighed. "Understood. Bronya is quite lenient when it comes to treating injured patients."
With that, she took the bowl and left, returning swiftly with the entire pot of red bean soup.
Kiana gulped down bowl after bowl until the last drop was gone, finally letting out a satisfied burp.
Then, another enticing aroma wafted over.
"Hmm... Sniff!" Kiana wrinkled her nose and turned to see Bronya elegantly enjoying a lavish meal from a nearby tray.
"Oh! I want some too... Burp!"
Kiana wanted to share the feast, but her stomach was already full from all that red bean soup.
She wore an expression of discontentment.
Bronya's lips curled up slightly as she looked at Kiana with sincerity. "What a shame—I prepared such a nutritious meal for you, Kiana, but it seems like you've had your fill with just the red bean soup... Oh well, I guess Bronya will have to eat it herself. There's so much; I wonder if I can finish it all?"
"Come on, seriously!" Kiana pouted indignantly, feeling utterly teased.
It dawned on her that even though Bronya might have anticipated this outcome, jealousy would still creep in. Perhaps this playful jab was Bronya's way of venting?
So, under Kiana's hungry yet helpless gaze, Bronya elegantly and leisurely finished the lavish spread.
Then, wiping the corners of her mouth, she asked:
"So Kiana's feeling completely fine now, right?"
"Yes, sorry for making you worry."
"It's no big deal. Kiana has always been like this; Bronya is used to it by now."
"Pfft! It'd be nice if your way of caring was just a tad more straightforward." Kia rolled her eyes, but she could feel warmth spreading through her body. Aside from the lingering pain in one particular area, all the soreness and fatigue—whether from last night's battle or her earlier experience—had considerably eased.
Clearly, Bronya had added special ingredients to the red-bean soup specifically tailored to help Kiana recover.
Ignoring Kiana's complaints, Bronya asked earnestly, "So have you two decided on what to do next?"
"Yeah. We want to resolve this issue with our own strength... Zeke seems to agree implicitly."
Kiana lifted her left hand once more, stroking the ring on her finger with a dreamy smile.
"Tsk!"
Bronya watched this scene expressionlessly and casually snapped her alloy utensil.
Kiana turned toward the sound.
"Hmm?! Ooh, a ring! Do you have one too, Bronya?" she teased with a giggle.
"...If Bronya asked, Zeke would definitely give me one."
"Well, that's about all you can brag about, isn't it? No worries, take your time to envy me!"
"Kiana, do you know how many ways there are to describe death?" Bronya asked ominously, half of her small face shrouded in shadow, giving her an eerie aura.
Kiana hastily waved her hands, chuckling nervously: "Okay, okay! Just kidding! Seriously though, I need your help, Bronya."
"...Speak. That's precisely why Bronya is here."
"While initially meant as a test for the Herrscher Squad, growth is paramount. Learning to trust and rely on our teammates' strengths is also part of that growth, right? Anyway, to truly overcome this challenge, we require both your wisdom and strength, Bronya. Please help us—I'm begging you!" Kiana leaned forward, grasping Bronya's hand firmly, her bright, clear eyes intently focused on Bronya.
At first, Bronya maintained a stern expression, but after a moment, she reluctantly softened her gaze and demeanor, responding mildly:
"Rest up well. Once you're feeling better, Bronya will be ready whenever you need me."
"Yes! Thank you, Bronya!" Kiana's smile bloomed brightly.
Bronya gently tugged at Kiana's grin, her own lips curving slightly upward.
What was there to thank for? They were friends, family, and partners who could entrust their lives to each other at any moment. It had always been this way, both past and present.