"You're telling me you're my aunt?!"
The moment Evan returned to the dormitory building, he heard Kiana's incredulous voice, followed by the response of a girl whose voice alone made her sound young.
"Yes, I am Theresa. Your father should have told you my name."
Although the other person was explaining very seriously, Kiana found it hard to believe. Even if she did now recall her father mentioning that someone named Theresa was her aunt, and even though the person's hair color was very similar to her own—silver-white—Kiana still couldn't accept this fact.
The reason was simple: the person in front of her, claiming to be her aunt, was at most as tall as her chest. If she had some special illness that stunted her growth, that would be one thing, but it wasn't just her height. Her face and voice were also very childlike; she looked completely like a little kid!
"Evan, look at her! She says she's my aunt. Does she look like it to you?"
As she spoke, Kiana even held her hand above Theresa's head to show how her height and appearance were completely unlike that of an elder. For Theresa, this was a highly offensive gesture. If anyone else had done that, the great Principal would have surely punished them severely. However, since Kiana still didn't believe her identity, Theresa could only swallow her annoyance and try her best to explain.
"I really am!"
She had never expected that what should have been a simple introduction would be so difficult. Theresa and Kiana didn't actually share any blood relation. The so-called "aunt" identity stemmed from the gentle care she had received from Kiana's mother. Theresa had thought of that person as an older sister, and the other had been happy to accept Theresa as her little sister. Although they weren't related by blood, Theresa knew their sisterly bond was deeper than that of many real sisters.
But in this situation, Theresa could only try to convince Kiana with words.
Seeing Kiana look towards the boy who had just appeared, even though she had already guessed he was the one who had "abducted" Kiana, Theresa's only choice now was to look at him with a somewhat pleading gaze, hoping he would help her out.
In fact, from the first moment he saw Theresa, Evan had confirmed it. Wasn't this just the launcher for Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—the [Oath of Judah]? Although the main body wasn't with her, Evan could still recognize it.
Theresa was likely wearing regular clothes to avoid attracting attention from ordinary people. She had the same white hair and blue eyes as Kiana, and her long hair was tied into a ponytail draped over her left shoulder, giving her a virtuous air that, combined with her exquisite features, made her look incredibly cute. Amidst the cuteness, there was also a strange maturity.
However, Evan couldn't possibly act like he knew her at this moment; that wouldn't be logical.
"I think Kiana is right."
Seeing that Evan wasn't helping her, Theresa's face darkened, and she clenched her fists, almost wanting to strike. She also felt that Evan had just had some malicious thought about her. But, she endured!
Theresa ignored Evan and began to tell Kiana some things about her father, which did align with Kiana's memories. Unfortunately, Theresa was unwilling to state her age, so Kiana remained skeptical. Seeing that things were heading for a stalemate, Evan, who had been watching the show for a while, spoke up.
"Kiana, actually, relatives like aunts aren't necessarily older than you. An 'aunt' is your mother's sister. If the timing of marriage and childbirth is a bit special, a situation like this can happen."
To be honest, Kiana didn't quite understand. But she sensed that if she kept asking, Evan would just say more things she didn't understand. Because he hadn't broken into her room and because of his series of friendly actions, she had developed a high level of trust in him. Plus, the stories Theresa told did match the facts, so Kiana tentatively accepted it.
"Alright, I get it. So, what do you want from me, Aunt?"
Kiana, who had been comfortably lazing around all day under Evan's care, now looked at Theresa with a wary gaze, having long forgotten that she had originally come to Nagazora to seek her aunt's help. On Theresa's side, although she had tried so hard to prove her identity, when she actually heard Kiana call her "Aunt," she suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Theresa is the world's number one cutest! A title with such an age-related feel as "Aunt" is absolutely not suitable, right?
"Now that you've confirmed my identity, you don't have to use that title. As for why I'm here—do you think it's reasonable for a girl to live under the same roof as a boy?"
Theresa crossed her arms over her flat chest, trying to put on a serious expression on her cute face, as if she wanted to lecture Kiana as an elder. But—
"Under the same roof? This dormitory building doesn't have a roof, does it? And Evan and I live in different rooms, not even on the same floor."
Theresa had been prepared for Kiana to give a "yes" or "no" answer, but Kiana was fixated on the literal meaning of "living under the same roof." Seeing her tapping her chin in serious thought, Theresa suddenly felt that her niece might be a little bit dumb.
While Theresa was momentarily speechless, Evan spoke up.
"Excuse me, is there something you need? If you want to take her home as her relative, please say so directly. I only let her stay in the dormitory out of goodwill. When I met Kiana yesterday, she had lost her bank card and was in a rather sorry state, so I offered some help."
Theresa paused, studying Evan seriously. After confirming he wasn't lying, her tone softened considerably.
"Thank you. I didn't come to... take Kiana away. I plan to arrange for her to enroll in a normal school in Nagazora City."
"I don't want to!"
However, before Evan could speak, Kiana's decisive refusal came first.