The Raiden Estate was undeniably livelier tonight.
Because Ling Ke had arrived uninvited and essentially refused to leave, Raiden Mei was forced to remain in her petite, childlike form. Yet she didn't seem to mind. In fact, after being subjected to the cold machinations of a certain civil war specialist and receiving zero emotional warmth from those around her, she found this bizarre situation rather charming.
Even though their little trio included a second personality who seemed notoriously difficult to approach, Ling Ke's presence changed everything. Even though Mei knew from their earlier chat group messages that he was male...
"It's almost like having an older sister!"
At this moment, Raiden Mei and Ling Ke were busy in the first-floor kitchen of the villa. Mei would occasionally steal glances at him as he focused intently on chopping vegetables.
He had to be focused. Before today, the pinnacle of Ling Ke's culinary expertise was limited to preparing instant noodles. He had watched plenty of food bloggers in his time, but that was all theoretical. His mind understood the technique, but his hands were singing a different tune. Thus, as he helped slice potatoes, his movements were agonizingly slow despite knowing the "correct" way to do it.
As for why they were cooking in the first place...
Well, Mei had been so absorbed in the dimensional chat group after her lunch break—like parched earth finally receiving rain—that she had completely forgotten to eat. Between her emotional release and the commotion caused by Ling Ke's abrupt arrival, it had become quite late. Ling Ke also didn't want any outsiders—specifically those radical Anti-Entropy observers likely monitoring this Herrscher host—to notice anything unusual too early.
Self-sufficiency was the only way forward.
Since they were both currently undersized, they were standing on small stools to reach the counter. To any observer, the scene would have been overwhelmingly precious. Unfortunately, the only other person in the villa was the Herrscher of Thunder, currently inhabiting an identical child-sized body.
Perhaps she secretly appreciated the aesthetic, but Ling Ke hadn't released his control over her yet just to be safe. The poor Herrscher was forced to remain a living statue. Ling Ke wasn't entirely heartless, though; he had allowed her to sit on the sofa before heading to the kitchen with Mei.
Truth be told, Ling Ke hadn't had a decent dinner in a long time himself. Life in the Shackling Prison was exactly what you'd expect—delicacies aren't exactly on the menu for convicts. This was why he was putting so much heart into the cooking process.
Finally, about an hour later...
"Itadakimasu!"
Raiden Mei, being a proper girl of the Far East, was the only one observing local dining etiquette. Ling Ke had no intention of following suit, and the Herrscher of Thunder was out of the question.
Even though she wasn't fully awakened, Herrscher personas were notoriously irritable, usually driven by an innate urge to eradicate humanity—save for a few exceptions like the Herrscher of Sentience, who seemed to have been born with her wires crossed.
Regardless, expecting etiquette from a Herrscher consciousness was a pipe dream.
Fortunately, Mei was a gentle soul. She didn't mind their lack of manners; instead, she beamed with happiness simply because she had company for dinner. Her smile widened even further when Ling Ke bluntly praised her cooking, telling her she was a natural talent.
Seeing this...
"Hmph."
The Herrscher of Thunder was clearly in a better mood, though she would never admit it. Ling Ke knew her type: a total tsundere. In the original timeline, she loved both the Herrscher of Rice and Kiana so much she'd kill anyone who touched them. Dealing with a tsundere was easy—just use directness and a bit of a devious streak to counter them. There was no need to crush her budding sense of goodwill now; better to let it bloom in its own time.
"Why do I feel like I'm babysitting?" Ling Ke wondered.
He didn't dwell on it. He had used his abstract ability to possess this body primarily to confirm which version of Raiden Mei he was dealing with and to get some fresh air. He was done with that prison.
Mei, having felt isolated and surrounded by malice lately, naturally wanted the company to stay. She arranged rooms for both Ling Ke and the Herrscher persona. That night, Ling Ke slept soundly in his borrowed form. Even the Herrscher of Thunder, experiencing the physical world for the first time, slept deeply.
Raiden Mei, however, was so excited that she barely slept at all. When Monday morning rolled around, she woke up with heavy dark circles under her eyes.
But it was fine.
"Just like we agreed last night, I'll go to school in your place today."
Ling Ke, already planning to stir up some trouble, deactivated the split-body state. In an instant, the three merged back into one, and Raiden Mei returned to her original teenage form.
However, this Raiden Mei lacked her usual gentle grace. Nor did she possess the cold, haughty gaze of the Herrscher. Instead, a wicked, playful smirk played on her lips—as if the Honkai energy surrounding the solar system had vanished and been replaced by the chaotic influence of a masked fool from the stars.
"Um, Mr. Ling Ke," Mei's voice echoed in his mind, "you won't go too far today, will you?"
"Ha! Don't worry, don't worry." The smirk on his face deepened. "I'm just going to give those bullies a proper education. It's for their own good."
He was looking forward to this far more than he probably should have.
"Finally," he thought, "a chance to vent all that frustration from being locked in a dark room."