Chapter 367: Another Flower Blooms, Each Branch Shows Its Own Color
The next morning, none of the three—Sigurd, Kiana, or Bronya—showed up for breakfast.
Among Sigurd's personal guards, only Sin Mal appeared in the dining hall. Her expression was dark as she grabbed a piece of bread and bit into it, the grinding of her sturdy teeth producing a metallic crunch that made others instinctively wary.
After serving everyone else, Seele came over with her tray in her arms. She took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and said timidly,
"Um… e-excuse me…"
"Hm?"
"Ah! I-I-I just wanted to ask… what about Sigurd-oniichan and the others? Should we send breakfast to their rooms?"
Faced with those sharp, irritable eyes, Seele shrank back a little. She raised her tray to block her line of sight—only by not seeing Sin Mal's expression could she muster the courage to speak.
[Hey! What's wrong with you? It's just Sin Mal! Use your Herrscher powers already! What are you so scared of? Pathetic!]
[B-but— she looks really mad right now—]
[And I'm in an even worse mood! You think my temper's better than hers? Or that I can't protect you from her? What's there to be afraid of—forget it, maybe I should just come out and teach her a lesson myself!]
[No! You can't fight your friends! That's bad! Anyway, I'm busy right now, so stop bothering me!]
Seele decisively cut off the voice in her head, hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered her tray. She forced a gentle smile toward the scowling Sin Mal.
"Tch."
Sin Mal clicked her tongue, thought for a bit, then waved dismissively.
"No need. Sigurd can take care of himself. You don't have to bother."
"Oh… um, then—would you like another fried egg? Good-quality protein helps with growth, you know."
"Two! No, four! Actually, twenty!"
Sin Mal's eyes lit up as she slapped the table.
Seele blinked, surprised by how passionate Sin Mal was about the subject. Normally, the one most concerned about height and growth was Bronya—who, despite her age, was still stuck in a petite, childlike form.
Unable to hold back a giggle, Seele said softly,
"Pfft! You can't do that, silly. The body can only absorb so much at a time."
"…Then just two."
"Okay! I'll go make them right away."
Seele's eyes sparkled with delight. Seeing her friends eat well always made the little cook inside her happy. She trotted off toward the kitchen, as if cheerful flowers were blooming behind her with every step.
Sin Mal rested her chin in her hand, watching Seele's retreating back. She huffed quietly.
"Hmph! What's there to be so happy about? Seriously, what a weirdo."
Then she slumped over the table, poking at her empty plate with a finger, her mood sinking again.
The real problem wasn't growth—it was age.
In terms of looks and height, Bronya wasn't much more mature than she was. But age was a line Sigurd would never cross. When it came to that, he had always been strict.
Which meant she would have to wait several more years before she could hope to take things further with him. And that waiting? It was pure torture.
. . .
After breakfast, Sin Mal headed straight for Sigurd's room.
As one of the three closest members of his guard, she had the privilege to visit his quarters whenever she wanted—a privilege that mostly came from her clingy nature and Sigurd's eventual decision to just stop trying to correct her behavior.
The living room was unusually quiet and spacious. Senti lounged in a chair, picking her teeth with a toothpick and muttering idly,
"Come to think of it, why are those three all missing today? What are they sneaking around fo— ah!"
Book of Fuxi thumped her tiny fist onto Senti's head and promptly sat on it, shutting the girl's naive rambling down.
Still, Wendy, Seele, and Raiden Mei—who were clearing the table together—paused for a moment. Even the Vodka Sisters, whispering in the corner, suddenly lowered their heads with identical sighs.
Sigurd's education had always been comprehensive, and that included lessons on physiology. He had taught them that purity wasn't about ignorance—it was about self-control and respect.
So even the most innocent Seele understood enough to imagine what might have happened last night. And after Sigurd had officially made their relationships clear, everyone could easily guess.
They simply chose, out of courtesy, to pretend they didn't know.
Now, Senti had unknowingly brought up that topic.
Crack!
The plate in Seele's hands suddenly shattered from the pressure of her thumb, splintering into fragments that scattered across the table. She stared blankly at the shards, biting her lip, her expression distant.
Wendy pressed her lips together and gently patted Seele's shoulder. Raiden Mei came up behind them, resting her hands on their heads.
"Alright, leave this to me. How about you two take a break?"
"No need, Mei onee-chan. Let's do it together—Seele's fine. Right, Wendy?" Seele turned around with a soft smile.
Wendy nodded, lifting her chin with a tsundere's pride.
"Seele's right! Don't underestimate us, Mei. We're Herrscher-class now—you think we'd crumble over something this small? Totally trivial. Isn't that right, Seele?"
"…Not exactly," Seele murmured, fidgeting with her fingers, too shy to meet Wendy's eyes—puncturing the proud air Wendy had just built up.
Wendy's face turned red, and she stomped her foot in frustration.
"Seele!!!"
"Don't be mad, Wendy," Seele said quickly, her voice warm and kind. "It's just… after all this time, Bronya onee-chan and Kiana onee-chan must've missed Sigurd-oniichan a lot. And I'm sure Sigurd-oniichan missed them too. Since they're already that close, it's not hard to understand if something happened between them. Besides, Sigurd-oniichan said it himself—what matters most right now is fighting the Honkai and saving the world. We all need to stay strong and not cause trouble for anyone, okay?"
Seele's small, delicate face held a faint trace of sorrow and loss, but the gentle aura around her carried a quiet resolve that soothed everyone nearby. It made her seem even more fragile—and yet, all the more admirable.
Wendy opened her mouth but couldn't find any words. After a moment, she just lowered her head and silently helped clean the table. She had to admit, in terms of grace and maturity, Seele had won this round.
Raiden Mei watched the two with a fond smile before glancing toward the doorway and sighing softly.
'Kiana's always been a flirt, but I didn't expect her and Mr. Sigurd to really end up together. Surprising, yet somehow… inevitable. Then again, Sigurd's charm really is terrifying. Looks like everyone but me's already fallen for him. I wonder how things will turn out from here… Hm, if Kiana gets pregnant, maybe I could be the godmother? I wonder what her baby would look like—hopefully it takes after Sigurd more.'
After her imagination drifted off for a bit, Mei shook her head and joined Wendy and Seele in finishing the chores.
. . .
Nearby, Senti reached up and poked at the Book of Fuxi sitting on her head.
"Hey, Little Xuan, I just got up to eat, haven't even caused trouble yet! Why'd you hit me? You should at least explain yourself—come on, back me up here, Old Timer!"
Completely ignoring the others' emotional atmosphere, Senti puffed her cheeks and tried to defend herself—dragging the calm, tea-sipping Fu Hua into it as if to gain an ally.
Fu Hua shot her a sidelong glance and gave a faint, amused smile.
"Whether you've caused trouble is debatable, but you did say something inappropriate. Little Xuan's right to hit you."
"Hmph! See? Even the blockhead agrees! You really need to study more—you're failing at basic common sense!"
Book of Fuxi patted Senti's head and narrowed her eyes, recalling yesterday's little "incident" when Sigurd had carried the soft, flustered girl away in his arms. A faint glint of killing intent flickered in her eyes.
Sensing the danger, Senti shrank her neck and dared not say another word.
Then Book of Fuxi turned to Fu Hua with a helpless sigh.
"Blockhead, we didn't get a chance yesterday, but remember to thank Sigurd later. If he hadn't had such strong principles, that mess would've gotten out of hand."
"I know," Fu Hua said calmly. Then she smiled teasingly. "Though, Little Xuan, haven't you been trying to match me and Sigurd together for a while now? I'd have thought you'd enjoyed seeing something like that happen. Or… have you finally decided that with all his admirers, he's not exactly ideal husband material?"
Fu Hua blinked curiously at the floating ELF, her tone playful and knowing.
<+>
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