Chapter 261: Between Them
Kiana woke up in a cocoon of warmth.
"Mm… Sigurd…"
The lingering warmth and familiar scent in the bed reminded her of the one who had just left—his absence was what stirred her awake.
"Hiss…"
She slowly sat up, a new and unfamiliar soreness causing her to frown slightly. Then, with a hint of shyness, she smiled sweetly.
Kiana lay back down again and raised her left hand. On her slender, fair ring finger was a deep blue gemstone ring.
It was a Key of Sanction—a relic Sigurd had always carried.
Of course, Kiana lacked the qualifications to wield the true power of this God Key. Instead, Sigurd had set up some safeguards, allowing it to serve as a support tool. It granted Kiana a limited high-dimensional perspective—simply put, it helped her detect and evade spatial attacks, even counter attacking if needed.
Sigurd hadn't explicitly given a yes or no answer in the end, but this ring was already a silent acknowledgment… a compromise.
"Red bean soup. To replenish your blood."
As Kiana was focused on the ring, an emotionless, monotone voice filled the room, carrying its signature milky scent.
"Wha—?! When did you get in here?!"
"When Kiana was lost in thought."
"Y-You—what are you doing here all of a sudden?!"
"I came to check if Kiana needed to change the bed sheets. Or perhaps… change the entire bed?"
Bronya spoke with a blank expression as her gaze fell on Kiana's barely covered figure. From a small exposed corner of the blanket, she unsurprisingly caught sight of a deep red stain.
Kiana followed Bronya's line of sight, then quickly yanked the covers up to hide it. Her entire face, down to her delicate, fair ears, turned a bright shade of red.
"No need to be shy. Bronya has been claimed by Sigurd too."
Bronya puffed out her modest chest with a completely calm and composed demeanor.
And Kiana's face turned even redder—this time, out of sheer indignation.
"GET OUT!"
"Kiana, don't push yourself. Bronya understands Sigurd's physical endurance. Drink the soup—it'll help replenish your blood."
Bronya held out a bowl of red bean soup with one hand while giving a thumbs-up with the other.
Steam practically rose from the top of Kiana's head.
Why?! Why is this tiny little gremlin so shameless?!
After a long moment of frustration—realizing there was no way to out-talk Bronya—Kiana could only sulkily accept the bowl and take a sip.
"(╯▽╰) So sweet~~"
"Bronya's special recipe. Don't hold back, there's plenty more."
"…How do you even know that we… that we… did it last night?!"
"After something like that, Kiana wouldn't reach out to Sigurd. So, naturally, Sigurd came to find you. Bronya simply paid appropriate attention. As for what happened after… well, that was unexpected. But I must admit, Kiana has improved. Bronya now feels a slight sense of crisis."
"PISS OFF!!"
Kiana rolled her eyes.
You sneaky little vixen, acting like you're the one in danger here? Come on, Sigurd already made things clear with all of us—who's going to kick you out now?!
Then, with a determined gulp, Kiana downed the entire bowl of soup and held out the empty bowl.
"I want more!"
"…Bronya miscalculated. Should've brought the whole pot from the start."
"Then go get it. I don't feel like moving."
Kiana wrapped herself in the blanket, curling up snugly while blinking at Bronya with an innocent expression.
Bronya let out a sigh.
"Understood. Bronya is still very considerate toward injured patients."
With that, she left with the bowl and, moments later, returned with an entire pot of red bean soup.
Kiana drank bowl after bowl until she had emptied the entire pot. Only then did she let out a satisfied burp.
Then, another delicious aroma wafted through the air.
Sniff! Sniff!
Kiana wrinkled her nose and turned her head, only to see Bronya elegantly enjoying a lavish meal on a tray.
"Ah! I want some too—hic!"
She had intended to join in on the feast, but her stomach was already completely filled with red bean soup, leaving no room for more food.
A look of frustration crossed Kiana's face.
Bronya curled her lips into a small smirk, gazing at Kiana sincerely as she said,
"What a pity. I had prepared this nutritious meal just for Kiana, but it seems Kiana has already filled up on red bean soup… No choice then, Bronya will have to eat it all herself. So much food… I wonder if I can finish it?"
"YOU LITTLE—!"
Kiana puffed up her cheeks in outrage, feeling thoroughly teased and toyed with.
Now that she thought about it, she should've expected this. Of course, Bronya would be a little jealous—who wouldn't be? A little teasing was probably her way of venting.
So, under Kiana's helpless and envious gaze, Bronya leisurely and gracefully finished the entire meal.
Afterward, she wiped the corner of her lips and asked,
"So, Kiana is completely fine now?"
"Yeah… Sorry for making you worry."
"It's nothing. Kiana has always been the type to make people worry. Bronya is used to it."
"Tch! I just wish you could be a little more straightforward when you show concern."
Kiana rolled her eyes but felt a comforting warmth spread through her body. Aside from a certain lingering pain, any soreness or exhaustion—whether from the battle or last night's events—had significantly eased.
Clearly, Bronya had added something special to that red bean soup, specifically to help her recover.
Bronya ignored Kiana's complaint and instead asked seriously,
"So, have you two decided on your next course of action?"
"Yeah. I want to use our own strength to solve this problem. Sig… has pretty much agreed."
Kiana once again raised her left hand, gently caressing the ring on her finger, a dreamy smile forming on her lips.
Tch!
Bronya watched this scene with a blank expression, then casually snapped the alloy utensil in her hand.
The sound caught Kiana's attention.
"✧(≖◡≖✿) Hehehe! It's a ring! Bronya, do you have one?"
"…If Bronya asked, Sigurd would definitely give one too."
"Pffft, that's the best comeback you could come up with? No worries, take your time being jealous!"
"Kiana… do you know how many different ways the word death can be written?"
Bronya's voice suddenly turned eerie, half of her small face shrouded in shadow, radiating a chilling aura.
Kiana quickly waved her hands in surrender, forcing out an awkward laugh.
"Alright, alright! No more jokes! Seriously, I need your help, Bronya."
"…Go ahead. That's why Bronya is here."
"Originally, this was meant to be a test for our Herrscher team, but growth is more important than tests, right? Learning to trust and rely on our teammates is also a form of growth. Anyway, to truly solve this problem, I need your intelligence and strength. Help us, Bronya—please!"
Kiana scooted forward and clasped Bronya's hands in hers, her bright, clear eyes locking onto Bronya's with absolute sincerity.
Bronya initially kept a stern expression, but after a brief silence, her gaze and expression inevitably softened. She sighed and replied calmly,
"Rest up properly. Once you're back in shape, Bronya will be ready whenever you need me."
"Mm! Thank you, Bronya!"
Kiana beamed like a blooming flower.
Bronya reached out and playfully tugged at Kiana's smiling cheeks, the corners of her lips curling slightly.
What was there to thank? They were friends, family – now sister-wife, and comrades who would entrust their lives to one another without hesitation.
They always had been.
They always would be.
<+>
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