In front of the home within subspace.
Cecilia smoothed her silver-white hair that draped over her shoulders. Her long, slender legs, wrapped in smooth black stockings, stepped forward. There was a trace of fatigue from handling affairs at the Honkai Academy, yet her elegance remained undiminished.
"I'm back."
The moment her words fell, a figure rushed toward her.
Red-Eyed Kiana tightly hugged her arm, pulling her straight to the living room sofa without a word. She buried her head into Cecilia's ample chest, rubbing her face against the soft fabric as she let out a satisfied murmur. "Welcome back, Sister Cecilia~"
"Mm." Cecilia chuckled softly, raising a hand to gently stroke the small head in her arms. Her gaze shifted to the other side of the living room.
The Kiana from Chiba Academy stood there, her cheeks flushed. Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, her eyes filled with longing yet tinged with shyness, not daring to step forward.
"Kiana, come here." Cecilia extended her other hand toward her.
The true Kiana's eyes lit up. She slowly shuffled over and sat beside the sofa, leaning cautiously against Cecilia's arm. Feeling the warmth from her palm, her unease gradually faded.
Cecilia rested both hands atop the heads of the two Kianas, her fingers gently combing through their hair. A quiet warmth filled the living room.
Shigure Kira sat on a nearby single sofa, a trace of envy hidden in her eyes.
The origins of these two Kianas—one was the red-eyed Kiana she had known in her previous world.
The other was Kiana from Academy City, from the parallel world of succubus Mei.
And both of them had been drawn here by Cecilia.
Thinking about the atmosphere of Academy City, Shigure Kira couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
The girls here were astonishingly direct. Their clothing was highly provocative, and they showed no restraint in confessing or expressing affection. Since arriving, she had already received over a dozen... special invitations.
Besides invitations, there were also those who wanted to become her maid.
And not just any maid—a free one.
Out of curiosity, Shigure Kira had looked into it.
It turned out they really were free maids—but the kind that wanted people, not money.
Their goal was simply to get close to someone they liked.
A maid helping her mistress bathe—perfectly reasonable, right?
A maid accompanying her mistress to bed—also perfectly reasonable, right?
...
Shigure Kira felt that leaving Lady Cecilia alone in a place like this was far too dangerous. She had to protect Lady Cecilia.
Suddenly, she met the gaze of Red-Eyed Kiana.
That look... was like a cat locking onto its prey.
This is bad!
Shigure Kira's heart jolted. Is she targeting me?
"Lady Cecilia, I'll head back to my room to rest first." She quickly stood up and almost fled toward the staircase.
"What's wrong with Kira?" Cecilia looked at her hurried retreat with confusion.
"Sister Cecilia, I'll go check on Sister Kira!" Red-Eyed Kiana immediately slipped out of Cecilia's embrace and chased after her with light steps. Before Cecilia could stop her, she had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
The moment the bedroom door closed, Shigure Kira was pressed against the wall by a force.
Red-Eyed Kiana braced one hand above her head, leaning in slightly. Her warm breath brushed against Kira's ear, their noses almost touching.
A mischievous smile spread across her face. "Kira, why are you avoiding me?"
Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Shigure Kira forced herself to remain calm. "I'm just a little tired. I wanted to rest."
"Oh?" Red-Eyed Kiana's smile deepened. "I'm tired too. How about we lie down on the bed together for a while?" She pointed toward the bed in the center of the room.
Shigure Kira sighed helplessly. "How long are you planning to cling to me?"
"That depends on when you accept me." Red-Eyed Kiana blinked her crimson eyes, her tone playful as her hand gently brushed against Kira's cheek.
At that moment, Cecilia's voice came from outside the door. "Kiana, is Kira alright?"
Red-Eyed Kiana paused and glanced toward the door. Then she leaned close to Kira's ear and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "I'll let you go this time. Next time, you won't be so lucky."
With that, she let out a soft snort, turned, and opened the door, greeting Cecilia as if nothing had happened.
Inside the bedroom, Shigure Kira leaned against the wall, raising a hand to touch her flushed cheeks. Her heartbeat still hadn't calmed.
Cecilia glanced at Red-Eyed Kiana, then at the faint glimpse of Shigure Kira's clothing behind the door. A knowing smile flashed in her eyes. "Did we really not disturb Kira's rest?"
So this child likes Kira.
Come to think of it, Kira is really popular at the academy.
Unlike me... no one really comes to look for me.
In reality, far more people wanted to approach Cecilia—but all of them had been blocked by Shigure Kira.
"Of course not!" Red-Eyed Kiana patted her chest in assurance and naturally hooked onto Cecilia's arm. "Sister Kira said she wants some quiet time, so let's not disturb her. Sister Cecilia, keep me company and chat with me~"
The true Kiana stood in the living room. Her gaze unintentionally swept toward the staircase. Thinking about how Red-Eyed Kiana had chased after Kira earlier, she softly added, "Sister Kira... is she not feeling well?"
"She's probably just a bit tired." Cecilia smiled. "Let's not disturb her."
Inside the bedroom, Shigure Kira leaned against the wall for quite a while before slowly walking to the bed and sitting down.
Her fingers brushed over the fabric of the bedsheet. The lingering sensation of Red-Eyed Kiana's heated touch seemed to remain on her cheek, leaving her unsettled.
What should I do?!
That's Lady Cecilia's daughter!
Even if she's a counterpart, I can't...!
Thinking of the complicated entanglements from her previous world, Shigure Kira buried her face into the soft pillow and kicked her legs in frustration.
She opened the system panel and logged onto the Academy City forum, asking for advice.
Very quickly, someone named Renako replied.
[Don't be bound by human common sense. They're individuals from different worlds anyway. Even if they were directly related in the same world, so what?]
[Take Senior Shiori for example. Her biological mother, her biological younger sister, her adopted younger sister, plus her other partners—there are already more than ten of them. Unlike me, I only have my biological younger sister and seven girlfriends.]
What is this person even talking about?!
Shigure Kira was stunned.