However, although everyone else was still in a state of chaos, Bronya, as an outsider, noticed something strange.
After the child appeared, both Leo Ash and Kiana were drawn into the vortex of this turmoil.
This wasn't strange. After all, although it wasn't confirmed, from various aspects, the child did... bear some resemblance to the two of them.
But besides them, the child's other relative had still not taken any action after seeing them off.
Seeing Bronya turn her gaze towards her, Yuna smiled lightly and shook her head at her comrade.
And the intelligent Russian girl, seeing the other's expression, cooperatively didn't ask any further questions.
* Big Sister Yuna has become calmer and calmer since she succeeded in her revenge. Perhaps she has her own thoughts now.*
*This matter doesn't have much to do with Bronya anyway. For now... I should think about how to handle the problems that might arise later.*
As for Yuna, although she looked calm, her heart was actually more chaotic than anyone else's.
In her plans, she would never become a mother.
No matter the reason, in Yuna's view, the Herrscher of Deadly Poison who had killed her own mother was not qualified to be one.
*And now, that child...*
*Without being mentally prepared, even if I stand in front of her, I probably can't show her the motherly love she needs.*
*What a mess.*
*Things weren't supposed to turn out this way.*
*And with a child, Senior's attention, which should have been on everyone, will be drawn to her.*
*And with Senior's personality, even if his status as a father came out of nowhere, he would probably want to do his best to be a good father.*
*This child will become something important in his heart.*
*But at the same time, this child could also become a new catalyst for Senior to risk his life.*
*What a headache. My plans are all messed up now.*
*Everyone...*
*—If you had been a little more competent and won Senior over, things wouldn't have ended up like this.*
"Alright, everyone."
At this moment, Rita glanced around and said to the crowd with a smile.
"With this sudden situation today, I don't think anyone is in the mood to continue enjoying the sea breeze here."
"I think we should first return to the hotel and discuss our next steps."
Although Rita was at most two or three years older than the others, the words she spoke at this moment carried an undeniable sense of authority.
As Rita began to walk, the bitterness in her heart had not yet dissipated, but as a woman of action, she couldn't just become despondent because her plan had been disrupted.
To give up just because a plan was disrupted—if humanity were so weak, what would they use to fight against the strange and ever-changing Honkai phenomenon!
*If that child is truly the blood of Miss Kiana and Leo, then—it doesn't matter.*
*It's true that a child becomes a bond between parents, but in the face of absolute affection, everything can be compromised.*
*I can't hesitate any longer. I must accelerate the process of making Leo recognize the charm of Lady Durandal... no, even of others.*
*Forget Miss Mei, Miss Anna, and Lady Fu Hua. Even Miss Yuna, who was 'turned' into the Herrscher of Death by Lord Otto, is a more suitable partner for Leo than Miss Kiana.*
*Miss Kiana, don't blame me.*
*I cannot stop Lord Bishop's sinister plot, so I can only use this method to protect my younger brother.*
Watching Rita quickly leave the beach, the others could only follow her helplessly.
The girls who hadn't interacted with Rita much, like Anna, Mei, Bronya, and Yuna, didn't think there was anything wrong with Rita's tone just now.
But for Durandal, who had worked alongside Rita for many years, she truly felt that today's Rita was definitely hiding a secret from her.
Normally, Rita was very gentle with people. Her polite demeanor meant that even when she met an A-rank Valkyrie of a lower rank than herself, she would still address them as 'Lady'.
But now, Rita had used such a firm tone to give a 'suggestion,' which was very rare.
*Sigh, Leo Ash, it must be because of you that Rita seems so off today.*
*And speaking of which, that child...*
*Since she is Leo Ash's child, why do I also feel a sense of intimacy towards her?*
*How strange. When did my intuition become so bizarre?*
......
Meanwhile, inside the hotel.
In the hotel lobby, Fu Hua looked at the two white-haired fluffballs, one big and one small, both shouting 'lift me higher,' and could only think...
—Her mentality had really been having serious problems lately.
Just now, the moment she arrived and saw this scene, the first thing she felt was 'agitation' and 'annoyance'.
It was very strange.
Although this matter had nothing to do with her, the moment she saw this scene, she felt negative emotions surging within her.
As a martial artist who had honed her state of mind for many years, Fu Hua couldn't understand why her mind had become so unstable recently.
*What... is wrong with me?*
*No, why should I think it's my problem?*
*I clearly know about Otto's plan, and that K423 is a clone of the real Kiana.*
*So, the moment I saw this child, I should have known—it must be the work of that bastard Otto!*
*That's right, no wonder, no wonder.*
*Thinking about it carefully now, Otto already had Kiana's genes.*
*And both Yuna and Leo Ash had been unconscious before. During that time, they were both examined by Otto while unconscious.*
*Otto must have extracted their genes at that time.*
*And then, after mixing the genes of the three...*
*A clone with the bloodline of Leo Ash and possessing the powers of the Herrscher of Death and the Herrscher of the Void was born.*
*A child who has the Gem of Serenity, the Herrscher of the Void's core, and inherits Leo Ash's terrifying talent could, with a little control and guidance, potentially replace Kiana as the 'pawn' in his plan.*
*And, this child mentioned a 'auntie' with pink hair and pointy ears...*
*Elysia... no, it can't be her.*
*She already sacrificed herself for us before the final battle.*
*This is a memory etched into my soul. How could I possibly forget?*
*Otto must have learned about Elysia's existence from within Void Archives.*
*And the 'Elysia' this child mentioned might also be an image created by Otto to persuade the child.*
*Damn you, Otto! How dare you lay your hands on my disciple and use such means to insult my important comrade—why am I saying such vulgar things?*
*But, no matter how I think about it now, he's the only one who could have done this.*
*Other organizations might have powerful artificial human technology, but they wouldn't have had the opportunity to collect the genes of Yuna, Leo Ash, and Kiana all at once.*
"Eh, Class Rep?"
Kiana, who was running around holding her daughter, looked at Fu Hua standing blankly at the hotel entrance and asked with great curiosity.
"Is something wrong?"
"Why do I feel like you're a little unhappy?"
"Me, unhappy?"
Hearing Kiana's words, Fu Hua immediately pushed up the red-framed glasses on her nose and coughed dryly at Kiana.
"It's nothing. I just came back because I was worried you wouldn't know how to take care of a child."
"But it seems I was worrying for nothing."
"This..."
Looking at Fu Hua, the white-haired child hesitated for a moment before asking timidly.
"Should I call you auntie, or should I call you grandma? For some reason, you give me... a feeling of old age?"
???
*Who are you calling grandma?!*
*Elysia was just an 'auntie,' so why do I become a 'grandma'—no, that's not the detail I should be concerned about.*
*How strange. I'm really becoming more and more off.*
*But still, she can see through that?*
*Is Kevin's descendant's intuition this terrifying?*
"Hey, hey, hey, how can you say that to Class Rep?"
Seeing the clearly startled Fu Hua, Kiana immediately put on a straight face and said to the daughter in her arms.
"Apologize to Class Rep quickly. She's about the same age as me."
"I'm sorry, Fu Hua... little sister?"
"...You can just call me Auntie Fu Hua."
Hearing this address, the exasperated Fu Hua could only shake her head helplessly and say to Kiana.
"As long as you can take good care of this child, I have nothing else to worry about."
"I'll go back to my room to rest first. I feel... a little tired."
"Ah, okay."
Listening to the sounds of laughter from behind, Fu Hua truly felt that the emotions in her heart were becoming more and more complex.
*My heart is in complete chaos.*
*But what I need to do now has nothing to do with whether my heart is in chaos or not.*
After walking into her room and gently closing the door, Fu Hua activated the secret communication device on her glasses.
"Yo, old friend?"
Looking at the 'calm' Fu Hua, Otto, who had been contemplating how to complete his plan, immediately smiled at her.
"Aren't you on the beach with them today? What's wrong, what's the problem this time?"
"I swear to God, I really haven't been up to any nonsense or schemes lately."
If it were the Fu Hua of the past, she would have just thought that Otto was definitely not telling the truth.
But now, Fu Hua accurately caught one word.
"'Lately,' you haven't been up to anything, right? Otto, I believe you."
*Ah, my old friend is being so agreeable today—like hell she is! Why does it feel like there's a visible killing intent on her face?*
*Who's pinning the blame on me? I really haven't had time for any schemes lately.*
"'Not up to anything lately' means you were up to something before, right?"
Hearing Fu Hua's cold words, Otto seemed to be smiling, but in reality...
He truly didn't dare to speak.
After all, Otto had done plenty of despicable things in the past. He had no idea what Fu Hua was angry about now.
"Not speaking? I'll take that as a confirmation."
*No, even if you're going to judge me, you have to tell me what crime I've committed.*
*No, I can't say that. My old friend is already angry. Saying that will definitely make her explode.*
*I don't have many cards left to play, and it's not a good time for Sushang and my old friend to meet.*
*I have to keep her calm.*
"Old friend, I admit, my actions have indeed been problematic."
At this moment, Otto's brain was working at full speed as he immediately began today's mission of fooling an honest person.
"But—"
"Going to say nice things again, then humbly admit your mistake, but be determined not to change, is that it?"
Seeing Otto's sincere attitude, Fu Hua didn't let him equivocate as usual. Instead, she preemptively questioned him in a cold, deliberate tone.
"I thought that after Kiana was born, you had already stopped those boring artificial human projects."
*Oh no, did she find out about the Cecilia clones I buried under St. Freya High School?*
*That makes sense. Cecilia was her friend. She'd definitely be angry seeing her friend's body desecrated like this.*
*There's no other way. Admitting my mistake might still get me yelled at.*
*But no matter what, admitting it is better than being stubborn and angering her further.*
Having made his decision, at that very moment, Otto and Fu Hua happened to speak at the same time.
"The matter of the Cecilia clones is my fault."
"Kiana's daughter, is she an artificial human you created?!"
???
???
After hearing each other's words, they both froze for a moment, then questioned each other simultaneously.
"What's this about Kiana's daughter?!"
"What's this about Cecilia clones?!"
After saying that, Otto felt a pang of regret and fear.
*Damn it, my old friend didn't know about this. Did I just expose myself???*
*No, no, that's not the point. The point is—what's this about Kiana's daughter?*
*An artificial human, Kiana's daughter... a K-series clone?*
*But that's not right. The remaining K-series clones are either not awake or have been discarded. It's impossible for a new K-series clone to appear before them.*
"Good, very good, Otto. So you're still engaged in such filthy business."
"No, old friend, let me explain."
At that moment, Fu Hua looked at Otto and laughed out of extreme anger.
"I've always known you're not a good person, but your bottom line is always lower than I expect."
"After making a clone of the daughter, you make a clone of the mother. After making a clone of the mother, you make a clone of the granddaughter, is that it?"
"What on earth did Cecilia do to offend you that you have to torment her family like this?!"
"No, wait, I think there's some misunderstanding between us—"
"Misunderstanding my ass!"
At this moment, Fu Hua looked at the 'pretend' dumbfounded Otto before her and said to him, word by word.
"This time, I'm really angry."
"Our alliance... I should seriously reconsider it, Otto."
After Fu Hua hung up the communication, Otto felt that he was a little... wronged.
It's not that he couldn't take being cursed at. After all, his face was made of Soulium; what was a little scolding?
But the problem was—what did Kiana's daughter have to do with him (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
*Old friend, you really misunderstood me this time. I was about to ask what was going on!*
*Right, Rita.*
At that moment, Otto immediately thought that Rita should have gone to find Leo Ash today as well.
Thinking of this, Otto immediately contacted Rita and asked the Rita on the screen.
"Rita, what on earth happened over there?"
"Don't hide anything. Tell me everything exactly as it happened!"
"Ah, this..."
Rita, still in her maid uniform, looked at Otto on the screen and said very seriously.
"Lord Otto, just now, a girl claiming to be the child of Kiana, Leo, and Yuna suddenly appeared before Leo and Kiana."
"Judging from the current situation, both Leo and Kiana feel that..."
"This might really be their child."
.....