In an European-style manor in the afternoon, the sun was bright and the sky was clear.
In a pavilion with white columns and a red roof sat two white-haired women, one large and one small. The larger white-haired woman carefully scooped up a spoonful of mousse with a silver spoon, and while bringing it to the smaller one's mouth, she said, "Theresa, come, open your mouth. Try the raspberry mousse I just learned to make for you."
Theresa's face flushed slightly, but she obediently opened her mouth. The cool mousse melted in her mouth, and a bitter taste spread through her oral cavity.
"It's quite delicious, but the mousse Cecilia made is a bit bitter..." Theresa said vaguely while swallowing the mousse.
"But, raspberries are supposed to be bitter," Cecilia said with a smile. A radiance warmer than the sun instantly shone into Theresa's heart.
When Theresa opened her eyes again, Cecilia was long gone, and a soft, pink-haired face was right in front of her.
Feeling the bitter taste lingering in her mouth, Theresa quickly retreated, her face blushing as she said, "You... what are you doing!"
The pink-haired shrine maiden calmly wiped the residual medicinal liquid from the corner of her mouth and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "You're finally awake. You couldn't drink the medicine while you were unconscious, so I had to feed it to you with my mouth."
"With your mouth?" Theresa's face turned even redder. Although this shrine maiden was also very beautiful, but...
Ignoring Theresa's shyness, the pink-haired shrine maiden brought over a basin of clean water and said in a very natural tone, "Take off your clothes, I'll help you wash your body."
Theresa quickly backed away, even the roots of her ears turning red. She crossed her arms over her chest and shouted anxiously, "No, no, no! I can do the washing myself."
The pink-haired shrine maiden studied Theresa, as if doubting whether she could complete this task independently. After all, Theresa looked like just a child.
Just in the moment of Theresa's shyness, the image of a white-haired nun flashed through the shrine maiden's mind, but it was immediately overturned by herself. How could it be? It's been so long, Kallen is long gone.
At this moment, a villager knelt outside the door and said with a bow, "Lady Shrine Maiden, the meeting is about to begin."
"Then I must take my leave, Miss Theresa. I'll have to trouble you to wash yourself." The pink-haired shrine maiden shook her head gently, then pointed to the rice balls on the side, "I am Yae Sakura. The food is ready, and your companion is waiting for you outside. If you want to tour the shrine, you may do so as you please."
After speaking, Yae Sakura left with the messenger villager.
Companion? Theresa was puzzled. She hadn't even told her her name yet. But as long as she saw this so-called companion, everything would become clear.
After washing up, Theresa held a rice ball the size of a human head in one hand, nibbling on it while analyzing the current situation.
Although the reason was unclear, she seemed to have lost her power as an S-rank Valkyrie. Otherwise, that Honkai Beast wouldn't have been able to trouble her. The shrine maiden just now also gave a familiar feeling, seeming to be the same Yae Sakura who had bestowed the Stigmata on her in Nagazora.
Thinking of the Stigmata, Theresa was startled, only then realizing that the Stigmata on her back had disappeared!
Arriving in the outer living room, Theresa found a man in white clothes already sitting there, his half-white hair so striking.
Sensing someone approaching from behind, Ming Yu took a sip of tea without turning his head and said faintly, "Is the Principal finally awake?"
Hearing this, Theresa's teeth instantly itched with hatred. Biting down on the rice ball, she freed a hand to pinch Ming Yu's ear.
"Ah~" Ming Yu, with his ear pinched, immediately begged for mercy, "Principal, let go, it hurts!"
Seeing Ming Yu beg for mercy, Theresa's mood instantly brightened. She stopped teasing him, let go of his ear, and said fiercely, "You know you're wrong now, don't you!"
"Mmm-hmm." Ming Yu agreed aggrievedly while rubbing his ear. He just wanted to quietly act cool, but he happened to run into an unhappy Theresa.
In fact, Theresa hadn't used much force; it was more of a test for Ming Yu. The sudden loss of power had caused Theresa's sense of security to hit rock bottom. Now, seeing the suspicious Ming Yu, she naturally had to test his attitude.
Seeing that Ming Yu didn't resist, Theresa's heart was immediately set at ease. At least she could be sure that Ming Yu wouldn't have any ulterior motives.
"Do you know what this place is?" Theresa sat down opposite Ming Yu and handed him a rice ball. Since she had given him the stick, she had to at least offer a carrot to soothe his mood. For Theresa, who had Kaslana blood flowing in her veins, food was the most precious thing, especially delicious food. A rice ball this big would make her heart ache for a long time.
Ming Yu took the rice ball. Judging by its size, he knew it came from a certain shrine maiden.
Looking at the rice ball in his hand, Ming Yu couldn't help but think of his days in Nagazora. Back then, Yae Sakura had also prepared such rice balls. He really missed them.
Ming Yu had deep feelings for Yae Sakura. Not only was she the first person he met after coming to this world, but she had also saved his life and was his initiator into swordsmanship. Although his current swordsmanship was not very powerful, Ming Yu always held a sense of respect for Yae Sakura.
Thinking of Yae Sakura's tragic fate, Ming Yu's heart ached. Such a gentle and kind person should absolutely not have suffered this.
Lu Xun once said that tragedy is tearing beautiful things apart for people to see. In Ming Yu's heart, Yae Sakura was just such a tragedy.
In Nagazora, he had no power to change things. Now, although he was still not considered powerful, he had found a fulcrum and the strength to move the lever.
This time, I will definitely not run away!
Straightening his expression, Ming Yu said, "How should I put this? This should be the space within your back Stigmata. The Stigmata has become unstable, and your consciousness has been pulled into this space."
"Since this is my Stigmata Space, how did you get in?" Theresa asked, tilting her head. Combined with her child-like appearance, she was overwhelmingly cute.
Ming Yu quickly took a bite of the rice ball to calm himself. The fragrance of sakura blossoms had permeated every grain of rice; one bite was full of the taste of sakura.
It had to be said that there was a reason for Yae Sakura's fondness for rice balls. The rice balls in Yae Village were much better than those in Nagazora. Whether it was the choice of rice grains or the selection of seasonings, it was not something Nagazora could compare to. The amount of salt was just right, making the rice ball perfectly seasoned without overwhelming the fragrance of the sakura and the sweetness of the rice.
Salty taste, sakura fragrance, and glutinous rice aroma, the three flavors intertwined in the mouth. With one bite, it felt as if all the fatigue in the body had disappeared.
"That's a long story," Ming Yu said with a slight smile.