"Are you having trouble sleeping?"
Yunduo asked again, understanding that Kiana must be feeling terrible right now.
First, Theresa was missing, and second, she had been poisoned by the Mimic Herrscher.
Kiana didn't answer immediately. She remained sullen for a long time before whispering, "Smoking is bad for your health."
"I know, it's just to pass the time when I can't sleep," Yunduo said, noticing Kiana's gaze was fixed firmly on the cigarette in her hand.
"Do you... want to smoke?"
"Mm-hmm, I feel so miserable."
Having received Kiana's confirmation, Yunduo worried about being a bad influence, but seeing her eyes glued to the cigarette butt, she prepared to pull another one out of the pack. She figured she'd let her try it, thinking that once she felt the discomfort, she would naturally dislike it.
Right at that moment.
Kiana suddenly knelt on the seat on one knee and grabbed Yunduo's arm.
"Eh?" Yunduo was caught off guard.
Kiana leaned over, her soft body crossing in front of Yunduo's chest, as her lips gently took hold of the end of the cigarette held between Yunduo's fingertips.
Yunduo remained motionless from start to finish, for fear of hurting Kiana. She only felt a light softness brush past her shoulder, and then Kiana, soft as cotton, was lying against her chest.
"Mm~ Cough, cough!"
The little idiot took a tentative puff and her cheeks immediately flushed red as she coughed from the smoke.
Even though Yunduo's sweetness still lingered on the filter, it was no match for the bitterness of the burning tobacco.
Seeing this, Yunduo put an arm around Kiana's waist, gently patted her back, and said softly, "You've never smoked before, have you?"
"I wanted to try it, I didn't expect it to be like this..."
"Hmm?"
"You looked so comfortable doing it," Kiana said, looking down. Seeing the amusement in Yunduo's eyes, a trace of defiance appeared on her face. She reached into a small pocket in her clothes and, after a quick search, pulled out a small milk candy. "Here, this is for you."
Yunduo paused. She leaned down and saw Kiana looking up with her eyes slightly squinted, the beautiful corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons. She was smiling gently as if seeking praise, her pure eyes devoid of any impurity. Suddenly, an emotion Yunduo had never felt before welled up in her heart.
Finding that Yunduo had accepted the milk candy, Kiana's eyes brightened even more, her face filled with anticipation.
Yunduo peeled off the small paper wrapper, placed the sweetness between her lips, and felt the rich fragrance melt across the tip of her tongue.
"Does it taste good?"
"It's very sweet."
Yunduo nodded. She had never eaten such a sweet milk candy before.
"Eating candy will make you feel better." Kiana half-closed her eyes and let out a yawn, like a ragdoll cat that had just crawled out of its bed. She curled her body up next to Yunduo. "Don't smoke anymore. Aunt Himeko always liked to smoke, and it's bad for the body."
Yunduo took this all in, knowing that this idiot—who was feeling down herself—had come to comfort her.
"I won't smoke anymore. This was my first time trying it, too."
"Really?" Kiana mumbled.
"By the way, Yunduo... do you think I'm... a burden or something?"
For some reason, she asked this question uneasily, not looking at Yunduo's expression, just waiting for the answer.
"A burden? No. You're the Kiana that everyone loves. Why would you think that?"
Yunduo was stunned for a moment, then replied calmly.
"Because—ugh~ if I weren't so weak, if I had been more serious, I definitely wouldn't have been poisoned by that Herrscher, and Mei wouldn't have been hurt because of me."
"It's not your fault. You gave it your all."
Upon hearing Yunduo's words, the corners of Kiana's mouth curled up slightly, seemingly very happy. After a while...
The midnight moonlight wrapped around her profile, making her look gentle and pure, yet a hint of bewilderment seemed hidden within those azure eyes.
"Yunduo, I want to go for a walk. I didn't get a good look at Chiba Academy during the day. I want to see it more clearly."
Kiana finished speaking, stood up, and looked at Yunduo.
"Okay."
Yunduo led Kiana, slowly making their way through the dark night.
There were many Honkai Beasts and Death Soldiers at night, but the route they took was very secluded, so they didn't encounter many. Even when they did, Yunduo dealt with them casually.
The city seemed so vast at night. Thousands of years of human civilization had been burned to the ground under the erosion of the Honkai, turning into an inescapable cage that was gradually evolving into a dead city.
No one turned on the lights. Relying only on the moonlight, Kiana leaned against Yunduo as they walked in silence.
An hour later, they arrived near Chiba Academy. Kiana stopped; it would be dangerous to go any further.
She took a deep look at the outer edge of the Academy, specifically at the large hole she had shot out with her Ranger Armor.
After looking, the two turned and left.
The clouds in the sky were thick, and soon a light, misty rain began to fall.
The soil in the rain gave off a unique fragrance.
With an hour's walk left to get back, the two quickened their pace.
Suddenly, Yunduo heard Kiana let out a muffled groan. She then half-squatted down, instinctively clutching her ankle, and stopped moving forward.
"Did you hurt your foot?"
Yunduo bent down and squatted. She noticed that the ankle Kiana was holding had a large swelling.
She observed it for a moment and concluded, "It's a sprain. Just rest for a few days and it'll be fine. Don't worry."
"But you can't walk on this foot anymore, or it'll get worse."
"Ugh~ I probably didn't notice it during the day. I'll just walk slowly," Kiana said.
But looking at the drizzling rain, she couldn't help but knit her delicate brows, feeling miserable.
This heavy rain reminded her of when she was a child and Siegfried would take her from place to place to hide.
"I'll carry you. Get on."
Yunduo sighed, turned around, and lowered herself. Knowing how stubborn Kiana was, she persuaded her, "Otherwise, your body will be soaked by the time we get back."
Kiana hesitated for a moment before gently standing on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around Yunduo's neck, and climbing on, resting her entire weight on Yunduo's back.
Yunduo suddenly felt a weight on her back, and a soft sensation pressed against her waist.
Kiana wasn't very heavy; she was like a giant clump of watermelon-flavored marshmallow.
As the fine rain fell, Yunduo carried her, step by step, toward the Nagazora Branch.
During this time, Kiana didn't say a word. She was savoring the momentary warmth, pressing her forehead against the back of Yunduo's neck, just like she did when she was a child.
With the gentle swaying, her eyes naturally began to close, and sleepiness washed over her.
It wasn't until Yunduo brought Kiana back to the bedroom and touched her forehead in surprise that she realized it was burning hot.
"A fever? No wonder she was so dazed," Yunduo realized.
She had thought Kiana's poisoning was all better, but it turned out she was still in a delirious state.
Now that she was soaked by the rain, letting her air-dry naturally definitely wouldn't work; she needed a bath.
After feeding Kiana the special Valkyrie medicine, Yunduo called her name several times by her ear, but there was no response.
Helpless, Yunduo had to support her and lead her into the bathroom.
---------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!