Schicksal HQ
In her exclusive room at Schicksal HQ, Li Sushang stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and let out a soft sigh.
Five hundred years ago, she had thought, upon her debut, that she had met the 'Raksha,' a charming and mature man, and had developed feelings for him that went beyond friendship.
But in the time that followed, after suffering a series of blows including the death of her family, Li Sushang was taken back to Europe by Otto and 'sealed' away, only to be released by Otto five hundred years later.
Objectively speaking, Li Sushang felt that even without considering her certain feelings for Otto, she had to thank him for giving her a chance at 'rebirth.'
However, after crossing swords with her Martial Uncle once...
Okay, 'crossing swords' was giving her too much credit.
After being taught a lesson by her Martial Uncle, Leo Ash, and being pulled into the illusion created by the Phantasmagoria by the Phantasmagoria Sword God, Li Sushang, who already had her doubts about Otto's actions, had her image of him completely shattered.
The Raksha who had been so gentle in her eyes, on that day, truly became a 'raksha' (demon).
From then on, Li Sushang felt as if her entire world had changed.
Originally, the only person she knew in this world, other than her Grand Master, whom she had met a few times but who was unwilling to see her, was Otto.
And then Otto turned into *that*... No, rather, she learned that Otto had *always* been like that.
The shock of this had once sent Li Sushang into a daze for some time.
Of course, on the day she obtained the Domination Core, Li Sushang understood even more clearly what she had to do.
She had always wished to be a knight-errant, so when a villain appeared, even if that villain was someone she once had feelings for, even if that villain had shown her kindness, she had to execute him for the greater good.
On that day, Li Sushang, who had in a sense slain Otto with her own hands, truly felt her mind become clear.
In the days that followed, she continued to fight hard against the Honkai as a member of the joint forces of Shenzhou and Schicksal.
But at the same time, Li Sushang gradually discovered something.
Her heart, it seemed, had made room for someone it shouldn't have.
During this time, Li Sushang had already realized that she had developed different kinds of feelings for her Martial Uncle, who had woken her up.
But because she discovered that her Martial Uncle already had many women by his side, Li Sushang suppressed these feelings in her heart, never voicing them.
And it wasn't just for that reason.
Li Sushang knew very well that she had, in the past, held similar feelings for the Raksha.
For her to 'betray' the Raksha one moment, only to immediately turn around and want to throw herself into her Martial Uncle's arms...
For a woman who had been raised with ancient customs, this was definitely not a good thing.
In the era Li Sushang lived in, it was normal for a hero like Martial Uncle Leo Ash to have three or four wives...
No, Martial Uncle Leo Ash was already the de facto 'King' of this world. It would be reasonable even if he had wives and concubines in droves.
But she was different.
She, who once held some affection for Otto, immediately found herself developing similar feelings for Leo Ash—wasn't that just being a fickle woman?
Objectively speaking, Li Sushang's way of thinking didn't quite fit the modern era.
But the problem was, Li Sushang was an ancient person who was forced to live in modern times.
Expecting the "Pillow Heroine" to change her way of thinking overnight was simply asking too much.
The Knight-Errant Li, who had been suppressing her own emotions because of this, waited and waited—only to find that her Martial Uncle had gone to face off against the Cocoon of Finality on his birthday.
If it were just a comrade-in-arms who had made such a choice, Li Sushang would probably only feel admiration for such a hero.
But since the person was Martial Uncle Leo Ash, Li Sushang clearly couldn't just admire him and let it go.
The only reason she hadn't acted with the uninhibited passion of a *jianghu* wandering hero was purely because she couldn't get over her own inner hurdle, and at the same time, she saw that the women around Leo Ash were all outstanding.
In the end, while she was still stuck on this hurdle, Leo Ash was 'gone'.
Even knowing that Leo Ash had a chance to defeat the Cocoon of Finality, Li Sushang at the time also knew that the odds of winning against the Cocoon of Finality alone couldn't possibly be high.
The originally cheerful and lively knight-errant, on that day, because she had failed to take that crucial step, gradually developed a crack in her heart.
Although she tried hard to pretend that nothing was wrong, deception was never Li Sushang's strong suit.
After these three years had passed, any member of Schicksal who had interacted with her a few times could see that Li Sushang was living with a lifelong regret.
But today, Leo Ash suddenly returned to Schicksal HQ and announced his intention to resign as the Archbishop of Schicksal.
To be honest, Li Sushang didn't care whether Leo Ash resigned or not.
In these three years, Li Sushang, filled with regret, had long since figured things out and abandoned those 'rules' in her heart that she didn't need to follow anyway.
She had long since resolved to take that step, so...
—Let alone Kiana and the others, even if Grand Master were standing in front of me right now, I wouldn't back down!
Li Sushang, who was now clenching her little fists tightly, looked up at the mirror on her vanity.
And then, Li Sushang, who had just resolved to fight with her back against the wall, immediately covered her mouth when she saw Leo Ash, who had appeared in her room at some unknown time.
In these three-plus years, Li Sushang hadn't learned nothing.
At the very least, she knew very well that the soundproofing in this room was excellent, so good that even if she screamed at the top of her lungs right now, others probably wouldn't hear her cries.
But she was so shocked that the moment she saw Leo Ash, she completely forgot about this.
She had only made that unnecessary gesture to prevent herself from letting out a strange cry.
As for Leo Ash, who had now come to Li Sushang's room, he really didn't have any other extraneous thoughts.
During his speech, he hadn't expected that this little slip of a girl, Li Sushang, would also be looking at him with *that* kind of gaze.
For this girl who had been hurt by love, Leo Ash had thought she would have shaken off that scoundrel and started a new life with abandon.
Well, the current situation also fit his expectations.
Except for the small problem of 'Li Sushang starting a new life by falling in love with him,' other aspects seemed to fit his ideas quite well.
Compared to the other women with whom Leo Ash had been intimate, Leo Ash didn't really have many thoughts about Li Sushang.
This unlucky kid met the wrong person at the wrong time, and then some bad things happened around her, causing her to inexplicably live for five hundred years and end up in this unfamiliar world.
After she saw the error of her ways, Leo Ash originally felt that their paths wouldn't cross too deeply.
But now, seeing Li Sushang gradually lower her right hand, her eyes seemingly filled with one part anxiety and ninety-nine parts anticipation, Leo Ash couldn't help but feel that this girl's character setting was collapsing a bit.
"Martial Uncle."
Turning to look at the man standing silently behind her, Li Sushang already understood that he might have seen through her thoughts the moment they met.
This thought had no basis. If she had to name one, the biggest basis was probably...
—This person was Leo Ash.
In these three years, Li Sushang, filled with regret, had idealized Leo Ash into an omnipotent and flawless god.
In her eyes, Leo Ash, who could act behind Otto's back, could definitely perceive the thoughts of others. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain some of the actions he took three years ago.
Based on this premise, Li Sushang felt that she no longer needed any overly contrived thoughts.
Three years ago, it was because of the distracting thoughts in her mind that she had lost someone incredibly important to her.
Three years later, today—she would absolutely not let go again!
Although she didn't boldly kiss Leo Ash like the other girls, in just an instant, Li Sushang had already thrown herself directly into Leo Ash's embrace.
Feeling the softness of the girl's body, Leo Ash wordlessly wrapped his arms around Li Sushang and said to her helplessly.
"I don't mind doing certain things to you, but Sushang, you need to think this through."
"A guy like me is 100% a hopeless womanizer. If you fall into my hands, don't regret it later."
"Regret?"
Feeling the warmth from Leo Ash's embrace, Li Sushang not only had no intention of letting go, but she also hugged him even tighter.
"I've already regretted not doing this three years ago for three whole years."
"Now... I will absolutely not let go!"
So, is my charm really that great?
I really don't feel like I've interacted with her that much.
If it were anyone else making this move right now, I'd either think it was a joke or that I was being set up.
But the Pillow Heroine... she doesn't have those kinds of ulterior motives.
She's serious.
Although I don't know the reason, her current actions and words are definitely serious.
"But Martial Uncle."
At this moment, Li Sushang, as if remembering something, asked Leo Ash with a hint of anxiety.
"Will Martial Uncle... think I'm a fickle woman because I used to have feelings for... Otto, and now I've fallen for Martial Uncle?"
Seeing the anxiety in the girl's eyes gradually magnify, Leo Ash completely abandoned the hesitation in his heart, pushed her directly down onto the Bed, and kissed her lips.
The girl before him, although once deceived by Otto into doing some wrong things, had ultimately been pulled back by him before she could make an irreparable mistake.
Such a Li Sushang no longer had her family or friends.
All alone in the world five hundred years later, she might, as in the original story, forge friendships with others and continue her quest to help more people as a knight-errant traveling the world.
But in the end, she was still a young woman in love.
Even women stronger than her needed a man by their side.
She was alive today because of Otto's actions.
And since I killed Otto, it's only right that I deal with the problems Otto left behind.
She no longer has a home. So now, since she doesn't mind...
—Let me give her a new one.
After their negative-distance contact ended, Li Sushang finally let her happy tears fall, completely at ease.
Before today, she truly had no idea that the path she thought would be fraught with obstacles would be so smooth.
Faced with a woman like her, who had nearly caused a disaster, Leo Ash not only didn't reject her, but he also very directly accepted her feelings.
Li Sushang didn't know what Leo Ash was thinking when he made that kiss, but she could feel that he did it because he wanted her to be happier, an action that was beyond her expectations.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Even without mentioning Grand Master, Kiana and the others were all very charming girls.
I... If I hadn't used such a "despicable" method of acting pitiful, maybe Martial Uncle wouldn't have made such a move at all.
In the end, I was still too selfish.
Selfish me, perhaps I've long since lost the spirit of self-sacrifice that a knight-errant should have.
But...
That doesn't matter anymore.
I finally understand. More than being a knight-errant, I want to be a woman.
A normal woman who can stay by her lover's side and walk on together with him.
As her clothes fell away, Li Sushang felt her heart become incredibly calm.
Without a trace of panic, when she completed this ritual, Li Sushang only felt her heart fall into a state of complete tranquility.
Even in this moment, Sushang could feel that Leo Ash's seemingly rough actions were not, in fact, him venting his desires, but were instead skillfully trying to dissolve her pain.
Only when she was by his side could Sushang feel that this man's gentleness was expressed in the details.
At this moment, the girl, whose heart was filled with happiness, had some thoughts.
Mother, Master, did you see...
Sushang has now found her own happiness.
If you two have spirits in heaven... perhaps you can rest in peace now.
Don't worry about me.
I will with Martial Uncle... No, I will with him, walk on together.
.......