Zeke felt a pang of regret.
To see Fu Hua's pale expression, filled with both fear and anticipation, he had expended two additional resources, significant ones due to their age.
"Sigh! I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted..."
The great emperor momentarily lamented the depletion of national treasury resources before composing himself.
It was done now; no point dwelling on it. The two Shenzhou patriarchs were top-notch scientific talents, though not quite at the level of Otto, Mobius, Einstein, or Tesla. However, excluding those prodigies, they were among the best scientists available. So, while not entirely without loss, in the long run, it still proved beneficial.
Moreover, witnessing Fu Hua kneeling on the ground, covering her mouth as she wept tears of joy made all those sacrifices entirely worthwhile.
'Is this what they mean by winning the heart of a beauty?'
Zeke observed Fu Hua still sobbing on the floor while his friends and disciple circled around her, unsure how to comfort her. He internally chuckled at the scene, yet couldn't help but smile himself.
He then summoned several Cecilia clones, instructing them to wait until the trio successfully calmed Fu Hua before assisting with arranging their living arrangements and providing basic knowledge orientation.
As for Zeke himself, he leisurely approached the bewildered original Cecilia standing nearby.
"Are you... Kiana's son?"
"Huh?"*
Upon approaching his mother-in-law for the first time, Zeke was met with an astonishing remark from her.
It wasn't surprising that Cecilia appeared utterly bewildered. She only knew she should be dead, and the temple surroundings felt both futuristic yet reminiscent of heaven, leaving her mind in chaos. Upon suddenly encountering Zeke's coldly handsome face, bearing striking similarities to the Kaslanas—especially those distinctive silver hair and blue eyes—her thoughts momentarily faltered, leading her to blurt out this question without thinking.
"...Your fiancé."
"Huh?"
"Kiana's fiancé. Well, not quite the Kiana you know... In any case, go rest for now; I'll explain everything later." Zeke responded weakly, promptly assigning another version of Cecilia to assist her. He watched as the perplexed original Cecilia departed.
As he observed his mother-in-law from behind, Zeke rubbed his chin with a smile emerging. On one hand, it dawned on him how much change he had inadvertently brought during these years in this world. And on the other—the issue concerning Kiana might just be resolved now, right?
"Clack! Clack!"
At dinnertime, Kiana held chopsticks in each hand and tapped them rhythmically against her empty plate. Her head swiveled alertly from side to side, her antenna-like ponytail swinging along, keeping watch for Zeke's arrival to maintain her stance.
"＠(￣-￣)＠..."
"You know, there seem to be extra chairs today. Are we expecting guests, Bronya?" Kiana, still vigilant, turned with curiosity toward Bronya beside her.
Bronya crossed her legs leisurely, petting the adorable Sin who had snuggled close, gently scratching under her chin like one would tease a cat. She replied mildly, "All Bronya knows is that Zeke arranged for a special feast tonight. He specifically instructed Seele, Big Sister Mei, Wendy, and Miss Rita to collaborate, ensuring the dinner would be particularly lavish. As for the exact reason, Bronya didn't inquire further—it's not of great importance."
"Hmm... I suspect he's trying to win me over!"
"Bronya can't entirely dismiss that possibility, but it's more likely you're overthinking it. The rebellious phase of a cricket paramecium hardly warrants such grand gestures from Zeke."
"Wait... Are you looking down on me?!" Kiana asked sternly.
Bronya glanced at her sidelong but didn't outright confirm or deny it. Instead, she casually shifted her gaze away, conveying much without saying anything.
Kiana took a deep breath.
'Don't get angry, don't get angry! The focus right now is Zeke; don't let irrelevant distractions divert your attention! I'll remember this slight for later!'
With a grimace and gritted teeth, Kiana scowled at Bronya briefly before refocusing her energy on anticipating Zeke's arrival.
Soon enough, Zeke arrived.
As always, he walked silently and composedly, taking his seat at the spacious head of the dining table.
Sin clung to him as usual, hugging his arm affectionately.
"Zeke~?"
"Hmm, good evening."
Zeke habitually patted her head and gently stroked her face, allowing Sin to nuzzle against him like a kitten.
Typically, Kiana would have claimed the seat opposite Sin, but today, seemingly sulking, she chose to sit alone elsewhere. Consequently, Bronya naturally filled the vacant spot next to Zeke.
In passing, Bronya shot a stone-faced grin towards the fuming Kiana, giving her a peace sign while maintaining her emotionless tone:
"Yay—"
"Shameless!" Kia slammed her fist on the table and glared fiercely at Bronya.
Naturally, this threat meant nothing to Bronya. She nestled comfortably next to Zeke, completely ignoring Kia's anger.
Kiana suddenly felt deflated.
Am I being too harsh...?
He actually ignored me today...
Is he really that upset?
Kiana began feeling uneasy, doubting whether she had indeed gone too far by giving Zeke the cold shoulder all day. After all, they'd never experienced such a standoff before—even when their feelings for Bronya were first revealed, they quickly reconciled afterward.
"Sigh..."
The sigh didn't come from Kiana but rather Durandal, seated beside her. As the elder sister, Durandal found herself at a loss, unsure how to intervene or offer advice, leaving her no choice but to observe with concern.
Suddenly, two hands gently rested on the heads of the sisters, bringing an unprecedented warmth as someone approached from behind them.
"Good evening, my lovely daughters, Kiana and Durandal!"
The voice carried an intoxicating gentleness, like a soothing hot spring that enveloped their hearts. Unfamiliar yet familiar, it instantly hushed the entire dining hall as soon as it echoed.
Kiana and Durandal froze in place.
"Clink~"
At the same moment, across from them, Theresa, who was drinking bitter melon juice, dropped her glass onto the table. Her eyes widened with disbelief, remaining motionless as tears silently streamed down her face.
"Cec...Cecilia..."
"It's been too long. You've endured much these past years, Theresa."
"Cec...Cecilia?"
"Yes, it's me! Although I'm still quite puzzled myself, it seems I've returned somehow." Cecilia tilted her head with a warm smile, allowing her long silver hair to gracefully cascade over her shoulder, creating mesmerizing arcs in the air.
Everyone fell silent.
In the imperial palace, sightings of Cecilia clones were commonplace.
However, the gentle woman before them, bearing the same features, felt distinctly different from all those duplicates.
This was Cecilia, the former Holy Maiden of Heaven's Fate, mother of Kiana and Durandal, and a remarkable Valkyrie.