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Siegfried's interrogation marked the end, cementing Kiana's future once and for all. No one could voice any objections anymore.
Zeke felt their bond grow slightly stronger, his serious demeanor softening as he took Kiana's hand. They strolled slowly together, reminiscing silently through shared memories that brought Kiana a profound sense of reassurance.
"What kind of wedding style do you prefer?" Zeke suddenly asked.
Kiana paused briefly before breaking into a radiant smile.
"It doesn't matter, as long as Zeke is the groom and I'm the bride!"
"We won't have time for planning anytime soon. Would you like a ring?"
"Yes! Anything from Zeke!" Kiana squeezed his hand, nodding emphatically.
As they continued walking, Zeke raised his free hand, and a golden thread wound around his palm. With intricate weaving, it formed a gleaming twisted wire ring.
"Marry me?" Zeke stopped, holding the ring aloft, and turned to ask Kiana.
Though phrased as a question, his tone was confident, as if certain of her affirmative response.
Indeed, with tears welling up in her eyes, Kiana solemnly nodded.
"Of course!"
The gold-threaded ring slid onto her ring finger, its bright hue complementing her fair skin perfectly. Despite lacking a gemstone, it exuded harmonious beauty.
"So, am I now officially Mrs. Zeke?"
"That's right. We'll hold the wedding ceremony later; for now, you're my bride."
"In that case, may the groom kiss the bride?"
"With pleasure."
In the empty corridor, Zeke gently leaned in for a kiss.
The kiss was gentle and unhurried, as if performing a solemn and reverent ritual.
Afterward, Kiana leaned softly against Zeke, her face flushed with a captivating blush.
"Zeke, I feel so light-headed; it's like I'm dreaming. Am I really dreaming? Or maybe just drunk?"
"You've already mastered the Void Sword Divinity, achieving extraordinary proficiency in your spiritual domain cultivation. Just touch the ring to discern its reality."
Kiana followed his advice, feeling the firmness of the ring, its distinct contours clear under her fingers. Moreover, Honkai Energy flowed smoothly through it, indicating that it was crafted from materials resilient enough to withstand even Herrscher battles unscathed.
"It seems...this isn't a dream after all." Kiana caressed the ring, pressed close to Zeke's chest, and giggled blissfully.
"How wonderful~"
She sighed contentedly, as if every cloud from her past life had dissipated entirely. It felt as though those former shadows were merely building blocks for today's happiness, no longer capable of troubling her in the slightest.
"Stare—"
As Kiana basked in her dazed state, an intense gaze pierced through the darkness.
Blinking, she leaned against Zeke's chest and slowly turned to look.
At the corridor's corner, a small head with twin spiral curls peeked out halfway, watching them with palpable resentment.
Zeke gently stroked Kiana's hair while addressing Bronya, who was blatantly eavesdropping, "Come here."
Expressionless, Bronya stepped forward, standing before Zeke and Kiana, gazing up at them.
Zeke placed his hand on her head and asked, "Why did you stop Siegfried?"
"Bronya didn't find him problematic, nor has she ever seen him genuinely care for this fool. I believed there was no need for his nonsense distractions. Most importantly, what lies ahead is critical, and Bronya wanted to avoid affecting Zeke's mood."
"Ah, very thoughtful of you. Thank you."
"There's no need to thank me, but... logically speaking, Bronya should have received her ring first!"
Bronya crossed her arms, cheeks puffing out as she openly displayed her jealousy.
With a flick of his hand, Zeke repeated the process, weaving another dazzling golden thread into a ring.
"Marry me?"
"Yes! Bronya's answer has never changed!"
"And now, you're my bride too."
"Well then, can the bride kiss the groom?"
Having received her ring, Bronya didn't wait for Zeke to initiate and promptly stood on tiptoe, pulling him closer, before offering a sweet, tender kiss.
Zeke's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard. He wrapped one arm around Kia's waist while holding Bronya's head with the other, savoring the unique sweetness that only these girls possessed.
After a moment, they slowly parted.
Then Bronya and Kiana exchanged glances.
Bronya's gaze was calm, even hinting at a touch of smugness.
Kiana pouted but ultimately sighed in resignation, the warmth in her eyes remaining unchanged—Oh well, I've accepted it long ago. Once you get used to it, there's really nothing to be unhappy about.
"Now that the ceremony is complete, next..."
"Hold on! My back's been bothering me lately, so tonight...tonight, I just want to chat with Bronya, yes, purely talk!"
"But-but Bronya feels the same way! You rest up, Zeke; we'll take our leave now!"
Before Zeke could finish, Kiana and Bronya, hands clasped together, hastily disappeared from sight.
Zeke blinked, utterly bewildered.
In Bronya's room.
The pair burst through the door, hand-in-hand, hastily closing and locking it behind them before collapsing back-to-back with sighs of relief.
A moment later, Kiana gently bumped her head against Bronya's and grumbled, "Weren't you being all assertive earlier? I even planned to say I'd go chat with Seele instead if you didn't want to talk, giving you a chance. So why did you run off with me?"
"Because...humans have their limits."
"But not Judgment-class Honkai Beasts, right? Hmph! You were so smug before, always finding excuses to skip class lately, leaving everything on me... Aiyo, my back is killing me again."
"If Kiana is already like this, Bronya would definitely miss the coronation ceremony if she went alone."
Facing each other, they exchanged glances filled with helplessness and lingering fear.
Finally, Kiana muttered,
"Darn it! Now I'm actually hoping for Sin to grow up quickly!"
"Bronya acknowledges that Sin has remarkable physical strength, and there's no doubt about her willpower and resilience," Bronya said earnestly, her emotionless expression serving as a perfect mask to conceal her personal bias. "However, it may not necessarily surpass yours significantly. From a rational standpoint, our situation remains challenging."
Taking Bronya's analysis seriously, Kiana reflected on her own experiences rationally and nodded after some thought.
"You make sense. We can't go at it every day; we need to take turns and rest... Hmm, let's think about it more later. In any case, Zeke has strong willpower, so he should be fine waiting."
"If Seele joined us, things might become much easier."
"...After all that, you're still trying to get me to yield?"
"It is indeed a feasible solution."
"No way! That's enough already—this topic is closed. I don't want to discuss it further right now. I'm going to sleep—a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep!"
Kiana swiftly stripped off her clothes, climbed onto the bed naked, and showed no interest in continuing the debate with Bronya—as she rightly stated, she desperately needed rest and couldn't miss this opportunity.
"Zzz~"
And just like that, Kiana fell asleep.
Bronya got up, stood by the bedside, covered her face, and shook her head.
"It seems Kiana's attitude remains an issue, but there must be a weak spot somewhere. Also, did you even bother to take a bath? Tsk!" Bronya clicked her tongue expressionlessly.
Being a Herrscher does have its differences: while Kiana didn't smell bad, not bathing still made Bronya feel uneasy psychologically.
Bronya pondered for a moment, considering her own peace of mind and especially to avoid waking up startled by Kiana's midnight chokehold attempts. She covered Kiana with the blanket, grabbed her pillow, left the room, and went to sleep with Seele instead.
In any case, nothing eventful happened that night, unusually quiet it was.
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