The dinner atmosphere felt somewhat awkward.
Usually radiating a soothing, sweet smile, Seele appeared visibly downcast today.
Wendy seemed unusually quiet as well, mechanically chewing her meal with a vacant expression.
This peculiar mood dampened even Kiana's playful spirit, fully aware of its cause. Instead, she nudged Zeke's waist with her elbow and shot him a strongly resentful glare.
'Do something, Zeke!'
With her cheeks puffed while eating, the lively and adorable girl frowned at Zeke, emphasizing her displeasure.
So, Zeke put down his chopsticks and raised his hand.
"Snap!"
"Agh!" Kiana clutched her forehead, gasping sharply before succumbing to her emotions and playfully punched Zeke repeatedly.
"Ah..."
Zeke endured the relentless barrage of punches without flinching. Instead, he lifted his hand, fingers twitching slightly, causing variously sized gift boxes—each with its own unique color—to appear by each girl's side, except for Seele and Wendy.
"Gifts. Save them until you get back home," Zeke said matter-of-factly as he stood up, grabbed Seele and Wendy by their collars one after another, and walked out, carrying both girls under his arms.
"Eep! Zeke...big brother?"
"Wah! What are you doing?!"
Ignoring their varied reactions, Zeke eventually vanished through the restaurant door.
"And just like that...he left?" Kiana rubbed her forehead, tilting her head quizzically.
At that moment, the Vodka Sisters emerged from behind Kiana, one on each side, holding their gift boxes.
"What's going on with Seele and Wendy, Kiana? They've been acting weird all night; it even made me feel awkward about asking Zeke to sign our performance application." Rozaliya stared intently at Kiana with bright, expressive eyes. Liliya nodded silently beside her, also watching Kiana closely.
Kiana furrowed her brow. "Performance application?"
Suspiciously, Kiana extracted a document from Liliya's arms.
In the next moment, Rozaliya's expression shifted dramatically, while Liliya's face went blank as her gaze drifted to the side.
Kiana flipped through the papers, finding that the top sheet was indeed a performance permit application form. As she continued turning pages, beneath the carbon paper—just as expected—were marriage certificates.
"You two! That's enough already!"
Little bitches, Zeke is taken! If you're after a sugar daddy, go look elsewhere! Kiana mentally exclaimed.
She tossed the documents into a space singularity for shredding, then grabbed each girl by the head with one hand, squeezing tightly.
"It hurts!" Rozaliya cried out.
"Ow!" echoed Liliya.
Tears welled up in their eyes as they put on pitiful faces.
With a huff, Kiana released them, shoving both away. "Go back and eat your dinner!"
Raising her fists high, Rozaliya stomped her feet angrily. "Ugh, stupid Kiana! You'll pay for this!"
Liliya cradled her head, speaking dully, "Vodka Sisters, never give up."
Kiana's eyebrows twitched with rage. As they say, tolerating their antics risks heart attacks and backing down invites strokes—in other words, she decided it was high time to teach these reckless little brats (aka cuties who were being annoying on purpose) some manners.
"You're asking for trouble! And call me Big Sister Kiana!"
With a ferocious leap, Kiana lunged at them, fists raised.
But the sisters had been ready all along. Sharing a glance, they moved in sync, restraining Kiana's arms from either side.
"What?!"
"Heh-heh-heh! Witness the Vodka Sisters' combo attack! Let's go, Liliya!"
"Right behind you, Rozaliya!"
"Ultimate Move—Double Vodka Tickle!" x 2
"Wait... Ahhh... Ha-ha-ha-ha! Stop... Hahahaha... No more... Oh gosh!"
The trio wrestled and tumbled across the floor, our noble, invincible Herrscher of the Void utterly defeated by tickles, wriggling helplessly like a caterpillar.
"Sigh..." x 2
Bronya and Raiden Mei exchanged glances, then each added more food to Sin's plate as she quietly ate her meal. With approving looks, they returned to eating themselves, having no interest in getting involved further.
The scene shifts to the long-awaited aerial observation deck.
Tonight is cloudy, with wispy mist flowing beneath the platform. Looking up reveals only a clear starlit sky and an exceptionally bright full moon.
Undeniably, the view is breathtaking, enhanced by advanced airflow regulation technology that ensures absolute comfort for visitors.
"If you're not hungry, have some warm milk instead. As Herrschers, it won't harm you to skip a meal."
Zeke poured two cups of lukewarm milk onto the table, handing them to Seele and Wendy while taking a sip from his own cup of hot water.
The girls exchanged glances, hesitating briefly before picking up their milk and obediently drinking it down.
Though they no longer relied heavily on food for sustenance, the warmth and feeling of satiation brought them a sense of comfort, visibly easing their discontented expressions.
Satisfied, Zeke nodded and said, "It's just us here now. Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"
Their lips moved slightly, followed by a prolonged pause. Then, slowly, Seele revealed a sweet smile and spoke,
"Welcome home, Big Bro Zeke."
Wendy glanced at Seele, hesitated for a moment, and murmured somewhat reluctantly,
"Yes, um... welcome back."
Zeke nodded gratefully for their warm welcome, gently patting each of their heads before standing up. He first approached Seele, leaned down, and reached towards her snow-white neck.
"The Moonlit Eye Stone, considered a national treasure of some kingdom. During the day, it appears as a deep black gemstone, but under moonlight, it transforms into a beautiful vivid red. Legend has it that this stone was formed from the eye of an ancient wise king... In essence, it helps harmonize Honkai Energy to a certain extent. While its effect on Herrschers is minimal, every bit counts."
As Zeke explained the origin of the gift, he fastened a silver necklace with a bright red gemstone around Seele's neck.
The delicate silver chain complemented Seele's fair, porcelain-like neck perfectly, while the vibrant ruby-like gem added a touch of striking allure to the girl pure as snow. Overall, it was a splendid match.
"Not bad at all, just knew it would suit you perfectly."
Rubbing Seele's head affectionately, admiration and warmth filled Zeke's eyes.
Seele touched the gemstone resting against her chest, her cheeks blushing, and timidly said:
"Thank you for the gift, Big Bro Zeke. I'll...I'll cherish it dearly."
Zeke nodded, then turned towards Wendy, gently grasping a strand of her soft, ink-black hair mixed with green highlights.
Wendy puffed up her cheeks but didn't resist, casting a sidelong, discontented glance at Zeke.
"What now? Another haircut?"
"No need this time. The technology has advanced; we won't require your hair anymore... This is called Aristocrat's Flower, a ceremonial artifact passed down by ancient nobility. Resembling blue petals, when tied to your hair, it amplifies both your attack power and range. However, similar to Seele's gem, its effect on Herrschers like you will be modest. From now on, there'll be no more haircuts for you. Use it as a hair accessory instead—it looks quite lovely."
Zeke secured the blue floral ornament in Wendy's hair, stepped back, examined his work carefully, and then smiled with satisfaction.
Wendy raised her hand to touch the flower, her initially sullen expression softening, revealing a blush on her face.
"Fine... Just consider it compensation for all those previous hair snippings. Don't expect me to say thanks though!"
Zeke gently patted her head without replying, then returned to his seat.
Now, observing the two girls, their earlier somber mood had vanished, replaced by charming shyness and unmistakable joy.
Crossing his fingers, Zeke faced them directly and began:
"Alright, let's get down to business. As you know, I'm... a scumbag who made agreements with three girls consecutively—no objections to that label, right? You're still young and may not have encountered many people; feeling momentarily confused is understandable... Well, in any case, it's best not to remain overly infatuated. I hope you both come to terms with this soon, without letting it hinder your lives."
Zeke's words were met with an unspoken silence from both girls.
Shaking his head, Zeke paused briefly before continuing, "I didn't expect my first task upon returning would be dealing with your romantic sentiments, rather than addressing Honkai or discussing the establishment of a new nation. You should understand the current state of our world. In the future, I'll be extremely busy, focusing most of my energy on combating Honkai. It's impossible for me to constantly attend to your emotions. However, as Herrschers, your feelings directly impact the strength of your powers... Take some time to reflect deeply and get plenty of rest."
As he spoke, Zeke poured two more glasses of milk, placing them in front of the girls, then rose to leave.
He genuinely didn't know what else to say.
The omnipotent King Zeke, ironically, was consistently inept and embarrassingly weak when it came to matters of emotion.