The next morning, Zeke, Kiana, and Bronya were all absent from breakfast.
Among the three members of the Zeke Guards, only Sin came to the restaurant. With a gloomy face, she grabbed the bread on the table and stuffed it into her mouth. While chewing, her strong teeth made a frightening crunching sound, like the collision of metal and iron.
After Seele served the meals to everyone, she came behind Sin with the tray, took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and said timidly:
"That... that..."
"Um?"
"Ah! I...I...I just wanted to ask what we should do about Big Bro Zeke and the others? Should we bring breakfast to their rooms?"
Facing those cold, irritable eyes, Seele took a small step back and raised her tray to block Sin's gaze. Only by avoiding direct eye contact could she muster the courage to softly inquire.
["Hey! Are you serious? It's just Sin! Use your Herrscher powers already—why be afraid of her? Pathetic!"]
["But...but Sin seems really upset..."]
["I'm even more pissed off! Do you think my temper is better than hers? Or that I can't protect you from her? What're you scared of... Whatever, let me handle this then! Today, I'll show her who the real little sister is!"]
["No! We mustn't fight with our friends—it's not right! Aiya, no time for chatting now, I'm busy!"]
Seele firmly cut off the conversation with Inner Skylar. After hesitating briefly, she slowly set down her tray and forced a smile at Sin, whose expression remained sour.
"Tch!" Sin clicked her tongue, pondered for a moment, then waved dismissively, uninterested. "No need. Zeke will take care of everything; there's nothing for you guys to do."
"Oh... Well then, would you like another fried egg? High-quality protein helps with growth."
"Two! No, four! Wait, make it twenty!" Sin's eyes sparkled as she slapped her hand on the table.
Taken aback, Seele hadn't anticipated Sin's fixation on this topic. Usually, the one most concerned about growing taller was Big Sister Bronya, who perpetually maintained her loli stature.
Despite herself, Seele let out a soft giggle and gently reasoned, "Pfft! That won't work; your body can only absorb so much. You shouldn't eat too many at once."
"...Then just two."
"All right, I'll get them ready now."
With a delighted gleam in her eyes, Seele felt thrilled that her friends had such hearty appetites. As their little chef, seeing them enjoy meals brought her immense joy. She briskly jogged to the kitchen, leaving behind a trail of cheerful, imaginary flowers.
Sin rested her cheek on one hand, watching Seele walk away, and emitted an ambiguous snort.
"Hmph! What's there to be so happy about? It makes no sense!"
She slumped back over the table, fiddling unhappily with the empty plates.
The real issue wasn't development but age!
In terms of height and appearance, petite Bronya didn't seem significantly more mature than Sin. However, the age difference was insurmountable—Zeke remained steadfast on this point, refusing to cross any boundaries. Consequently, Sin faced years of waiting before potentially growing closer to Zeke, which felt like pure torment for her.
After breakfast, Sin headed straight to Zeke's room.
As one of the three elite guards closest to him, she had the privilege of visiting his quarters anytime—partly due to her clinginess being so intense that, after numerous failed attempts to correct it, Zeke simply gave up trying.
In the spacious living area, Senti lounged casually on a chair, absent-mindedly picking her teeth with a toothpick as she remarked, "Come to think of it, where did those three disappear to? Wonder what they're secretly up to... Oops!"
The Book of Fuxi smacked Senti's head with its tiny fist before perching atop her, effectively silencing the innocent child's unwitting comment.
However, Wendy, Seele, and Raiden Mei, who were clearing the dining table together, paused momentarily. The Vodka Sisters, huddled nearby whispering among themselves, also lowered their heads dejectedly.
Zeke provided comprehensive education to these girls, including thorough instruction on human biology. Purity, he believed, was not about ignorance but rather maintaining self-restraint and avoiding promiscuity.
Regardless, even the purest Seele possessed ample knowledge on such matters. After Zeke formally clarified their relationships last night, everyone could easily imagine what transpired, though they deliberately chose to overlook it until now.
Now, inadvertently, Senti had brought up this sensitive topic.
"Crack!"
The plate Seele was holding suddenly shattered around her thumb, scattering shards across the table. She stared at the fragments, biting her lip with a dazed expression.
Wendy pursed her lips, reached out, and gently patted Seele on the shoulder.
Raiden Mei approached from behind them, placing a hand on each girl's head, and said,
"It's alright; let me handle things here for now. Why don't you two take a break downstairs?"
"No need, Big Sister Mei. We should stay together. I'm fine, really. Wendy feels the same, right?" Seele turned back, smiling softly.
Wendy nodded, raising her chin proudly.
"Seele is right," she declared. "Don't underestimate us, Big Sister Mei. As wielders of Herrscher powers, we're not easily shaken by such trivial matters. It's completely insignificant, isn't that so, Seele?"
"...Well, not exactly. My feelings about it are quite mixed." Seele twiddled her fingers, embarrassed, puncturing the confidence Wendy had mustered.
Wendy blushed, stomping her foot in frustration.
"Seele!"
"Don't get too worked up, Wendy. I just feel... after such a long time apart, Big Sisters Bronya and Kiana must have missed Zeke dearly, and he surely felt the same way about them. Given their close bond, it's understandable if something happened between them. Besides, Zeke said our priority now should be combating Honkai and saving the world. We need to stay strong and not burden others with unnecessary concerns."
Smiling gently, Seele's delicate features betrayed a hint of sorrow and loss. Yet, beneath her soft demeanor, there radiated resilience and comfort, evoking feelings of tenderness.
Wendy opened her mouth but found herself momentarily speechless. She then lowered her head and silently continued tidying the table—admitting that, in terms of poise and maturity, this round went to Seele.
Raiden Mei observed the exchange, feeling reassured as she smiled softly. Then, turning towards the door, she let out a silent sigh.
"Kiana has always been quite flirtatious, but I never expected her to actually end up with Zeke-san. It's surprising yet somehow feels inevitable... His charm is truly remarkable; seems like everyone except me has fallen for him. Wonder how things will unfold from here... Hmm, if Kiana gets pregnant, can I be the godmother? Can't wait to see what their child would look like—I hope they inherit more traits from Zeke-san."
After letting her thoughts wander, Raiden Mei shook her head and joined Wendy and Seele in completing the household chores.
On the side, Senti reached up to gently touch the Book of Fuxi perched atop her head.
"Little Fuxi, I just woke up for breakfast—what trouble could I possibly have caused today? Why do you keep hitting me? People should be reasonable, don't you agree, Old Antique?"
Senti, oblivious to Seele and Wendy's conversation, pleaded her case indignantly while dragging Fu Hua, calmly sipping nearby, into it, hoping to gain some leverage.
Fu Hua glanced sideways with a nonchalant smile.
"It's hard to say about causing trouble, but you did indeed utter some inappropriate words. Little Fuxi is right."
"Hmph! Look, even the stubborn one knows! What more can you say now? Seems like your studies haven't been rigorous enough; clearly lacking in basic knowledge!"
The Book of Fuxi patted Senti's head, recalling yesterday's mishap—the sight of Zeke tenderly carrying a limp Senti back. Her eyes narrowed, emitting a faint aura of menace.
Sensing this, Senti shrank away, too afraid to utter another word.
Then, the Book of Fuxi turned towards Fu Hua, sounding resigned:
"Hard-headed girl, I didn't have a chance to remind you yesterday - remember to find an opportunity and thank Zeke. If not for his principles, things could have turned out much worse."
"I understand. Speaking of which, haven't you been trying to bring me closer to Zeke all along? I thought you'd be delighted if such an incident occurred. Could it be that even you now feel he has too many romantic entanglements, making him an unsuitable match?"
Fu Hua blinked, looking curiously at the Book of Fuxi.