Chapter 17: Rejoice my niece, your good aunt is finally here!
Chapter 17: Rejoice my niece, your good aunt is finally here!
"That was so scary! I thought I was done for!"
Kiana, tears welling up in her eyes, leaned against Mei's chest, feeling distressed.
Meanwhile, Bronya silently observed Kiana, her expression likely one of disdain if Kiana had seen it.
No, it was written all over her face.
"Mei, it seems like Xuan might really be..."
Kiana, smelling the scent of Mei, suddenly lowered her head.
She had remembered asking Himeko for Fu Xuan information earlier, hoping St. Freya should at least be able to get leads on him.
Himeko mentioned someone matching Fu Xuan's description at St. Freya Academy, raising her hopes.
But now... "Kiana, I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me..." Mei felt guilty inside.
A friend she had met not long ago was now missing or worse still... Dead.
"It's okay. It's not your fault."
Kiana comforted Mei by hugging her.
"Bronya is sorry to interrupt, but—"
"—Bronya just wants to remind you, but, if we don't go to the cafeteria soon, we'll miss lunch."
"Lunch!"
"Then let's hurry."
Hearing there might be no food left, Kiana turned and dashed towards the cafeteria, with Bronya following behind.
Mei watched the two ahead and thought about the bomb implanted by Himeko in her heart.
She held her hand to her chest before following after Kiana, feeling reassured.
"...."
"Kiana Kaslana, Subject K423?" Fu Hua, the bush camper, emerged from the nearby bushes.
She had been thinking about the clues to the vegetable thief but almost forgot that the person in front of her was the one Otto had asked her to monitor.
....
Sometime later.
"Mei, the food in the cafeteria is terrible. I want to eat what you make." After finishing the food in front of her, Kiana looked at Mei.
"There should be a kitchen in the apartment. We can buy some groceries."
"It seems having a school principal as an 'aunt' is quite nice." Kiana remembered last night's encounter with... her 'aunt,' feeling a bit embarrassed.
----Last Night----
Upon learning that Kiana Kaslana was already aboard the Hyperion, Theresa was pleasantly surprised and immediately arranged for Kiana to stay with Himeko.
When Kiana arrived at Himeko's home, Theresa rushed to her. "My dear niece, your big aunt's here."
Theresa pushed open the apartment door, calling out happily.
Hearing the voice, Kiana, who had already learned from Himeko that she had an 'aunt,' looked towards the door.
But upon seeing the dwarf before her, Kiana gently patted Theresa's head. "I never imagined my aunt would be such a cute child."
After hearing Kiana's words, Theresa clenched her fists.
Theresa jumped, knocking on Kiana's head. "I'm your aunt, you silly Kiana!" Theresa yelled at Kiana with a hint of aggrievement.
"No way! My aunt should have a curvaceous figure and a mature demeanor, not a flat-chested kid!"
Kiana retorted, holding her head where Theresa had just created a bump, tears welling up in her eyes.
Hearing Kiana's cutting remarks, Theresa looked down at her own figure and height, feeling as if she had turned into a monochrome drawing that a gust of wind could blow away.
At that moment, Himeko entered with food in hand. "Dean Theresa, what are you doing here?" Himeko asked, seeing Theresa standing there but only hearing her lament.
"Flat-chested? Little kid?"
"Haha, flat-chested... little kid..." As Theresa's voice trailed off, a golden cross flew in from a distance.
"I'll just get rid of you!"
Theresa swung Judah at Kiana.
"Dean, stop! She's just a child!" Himeko held Kiana, shouting at Theresa.
Hearing Himeko's words, Theresa came back to her senses, stopped swinging Judah and threw it aside.
Judah: *&^%$#@!
"Kiana, she really is your aunt."
Himeko, seeing the situation calming down, reintroduced Theresa to Kiana.
"This little kid is actually my aunt!?" Kiana reluctantly accepted that the tiny Theresa in front of her was her aunt.
"Ahem, actually, the Dean is already forty..." Himeko reminded from the side.
"Himeko, are you saying you don't want this month's salary?"
Theresa threatened, glaring at Himeko for mentioning something women despise the most.
"Let's eat first." Himeko had to retract her words and brought out the freshly bought food to the table.
"We can finally eat! Mei, Bronya, come out and eat!"
Kiana shouted towards the rooms with her mouth full.
Assisted by Bronya, and Mei, who had awakened from her coma, arrived in the dinning table.
Despite receiving treatment, she still felt pain in her body, especially in her chest. "Kiana, you're not injured anywhere, are you..."
Mei sighed in relief, seeing Kiana unharmed.
The memories of those times with Kiana are crystal clear in Mei's mind.
As for her physical injuries, she holds no grudge against Fischl—the man that jumped her.
She knows she nearly killed Kiana herself; if it weren't for his timely intervention, things could have ended tragically.
"Mph... I'm... fine," Kiana managed to mumble through a mouthful of food, almost choking in the process, while thumping her chest.
"Here, drink some water," Himeko said, handing Kiana a glass, which she quickly gulped down along with the food.
"That was a close call!" Kiana exclaimed with lingering fear, relieved that she didn't become the first Kaslana to choke to death on food.
"Clearly a single-celled organism behavior." Bronya remarked quietly while munching on her food.
"What did you say?" Kiana swallowed her food, looking incredulously at Bronya.
"A fool will always be a fool," Bronya reiterated.
"She's bullying me, Mei-senpai!" Kiana didn't miss a chance to tease Mei, as Kiana hugged her tightly, rubbing her head on her chest.
"Alright, alright, it's okay Kiana," Mei could only offer gentle reassurance to the shameless Kiana.
"It's getting late, Kiana; you should head back," Himeko suggested with a smile, seeing that Kiana and her friends were settling in well, despite the chaotic mealtime.
"Miss. Himeko, are you really kicking me out?" Kiana looked dumbfounded, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Why do we even have classes?" Kiana felt a bit overwhelmed, mistakenly thinking that attending the Valkyrie Academy meant only focusing on combat training.
"Why do I feel like I'm forgetting someone?"
Kiana tried accessing the Kaslana Network to jog her memory, but the system promptly crashed.
"Mei-senpai, I want to sleep with you tonight so I can take care of you."
Kiana gently placed her hand on Mei face, but Mei blushed and tried to push her away, though she couldn't budge her with her current strength.
"Paramecium, take care of yourself first," Bronya, observing Mei's reluctance, summoned her Project Bunny 19c, to escort Kiana out of the room.
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Editor's note:
"Ah, eating and drinking well; this is the life I want!" - Wise words by a certain character.
Got lazy while translating this chapter.
I think I'm done with my quota for this week, I might still upload later.... not sure.
And that's if I have the energy.