The single-serving meal before her was balanced with meat and vegetables, garnished with reds and greens. The exquisite knife work and creative plating transformed ordinary ingredients into a visually delightful feast for the eyes.
Picking up the egg tart, Theresa took a gentle bite. Crisp yet tender, its incomparably sweet flavor burst on her tongue.
"Amazing! Your cooking keeps getting better—almost as good as renowned master chefs!" she complimented Seele, who quietly enjoyed her meal beside her.
A visible blush rose on Seele's small face, and she shyly replied in a soft voice, "Thank you. As long as you like it, Auntie Theresa."
"Aunt...Auntie? Um, even though I'm indeed not young anymore, and technically I am Kiana's great-aunt...it would still be best if you call me Principal or something similar. 'Auntie' feels rather awkward." Theresa smiled, but her words sounded stiff and embarrassed.
"Pfft!"
From the side came the stifled giggles of a certain little white-haired girl.
Theresa narrowed her eyes, placed her hand near the plate, and flicked it with a snap.
Fwip!
"Eek (?? д ??)!!!" Kiana clutched at her throat, swaying back and forth before finally swallowing the cherry tomato several seconds later, face beet red.
"Whew... That scared me half to death! I thought I was gonna choke!"
"Don't worry, Kaslanas have incredibly resilient constitutions—you wouldn't die that easily." Theresa said with a smile, simultaneously stabbing the shiny fork deeply into the bread on her plate as she gazed kindly at Kiana.
Kiana lowered her head, devouring her food ravenously, looking like she hadn't eaten for three days straight. She swallowed any complaints she had—after spending so much time around Zeke, few could match her ability to read situations or prioritize survival instincts.
Theresa softly hummed.
Then, turning towards Zeke, she sighed and said, "I apologize, but regarding the matter of Welt's Ideological Introduction, I hope you can allow me a few more days to consider."
"A change of heart?"
Zeke looked up at Theresa with an impassive expression.
She shook her head. "No, I just need to be cautious. Grandpa once publicly declared within Schicksal that Welt's ideology is incredibly compelling and he would wholeheartedly support it if circumstances allowed. However, maintaining stability within Schicksal is crucial for overcoming Honkai. Then, without any hesitation, he openly banned this line of thought. While I don't know all the details, given how seriously Grandpa takes it, this ideology must be significant."
As Theresa explained calmly, seeing Zeke's noncommittal reaction brought slight relief to her. She continued, "I am the Principal of Saint Freya Academy, responsible for all my students' well-being. Without fully understanding the implications, I cannot allow them to engage with such ideas. On another note, Grandpa's concerns are valid. In these perilous times, preserving the friendly collaboration and growth between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy is paramount... In short, after further examination and reflection, I will decide how far I can assist you."
Theresa's tone conveyed both regret and utmost caution.
With her mental shackles unlocked, Theresa's mind had fully regained the clarity and decisiveness she'd possessed when facing Parvati with spear in hand. The present Theresa appeared exceptionally composed and lucid.
"Crack!"
Zeke tapped the hard-boiled egg in his hand against the table, then casually peeled its shell as he spoke, "Fine. Stay here for a few more days. I'll deliver relevant books and materials to your room; once you've reviewed them, give me a definitive answer."
"Thank you for understanding." This time, Theresa genuinely sighed in relief.
Although she was older and of higher seniority than Zeke, she never forgot his abilities and status—nor could she overlook that he held sway over even Otto Schorlemmer.
From a pragmatic standpoint, Zeke's thoughts and actions carried enough weight to shake up the global power balance.
In the past, during Theresa's impulsive antics, Zeke often outmatched her effortlessly. However, whenever they managed to calmly discuss matters, she discovered he was actually quite reasonable and tolerant—not someone difficult or stubborn to deal with at all.
Having finished peeling the egg, Zeke paused briefly before placing it on Bronya's plate gently. He said warmly, "Eat well; your intense thinking requires plenty of energy."
"Thanks, Zeke." Bronya accepted his gesture with a faint smile.
Sin didn't mind at all—Zeke on one side and Bronya on the other; she felt no discomfort whatsoever.
"Clank!"
Suddenly, Kiana's fork clattered to the table.
"@#*&??#$!!!"
With her cheeks puffed out from the food stuffed inside, Kiana pointed at Zeke and Bronya, shouting indistinctly yet fervently.
"You have perfectly functional hands! You weren't even injured in battle. Can't you peel it yourself if you want to eat?"
"*%&??!!"
"What's so different about it? It's just an egg."
"&×???##!"
"What do you mean by favoritism or abandoning someone after messing things up... If you keep whining, pointing fingers, and yelling with your mouth full today, I'll make you spend the entire day doing worksheets."
Zeke spoke calmly, his eyes flashing menacingly as he stared at Kiana's accusing finger.
Kiana froze, shrunk back, lowered her head, and picked up her utensils, continuing to wolf down her meal—but beneath that pitiful expression lurked profound resentment.
Shaking his head, Zeke leaned back, relishing Kiana's discontented demeanor with a slight smirk.
While others couldn't decipher Kiana's muffled words, Zeke always understood her clearly—a phenomenon everyone had grown accustomed to.
The other girls remained unaffected, but Bronya, chewing her egg impassively, experienced a fleeting moment of darkness in her gaze.
'It seems I must expedite my plans,' Bronya thought.
After breakfast, Bronya and Sin went for their physical check-ups while everyone else had various tasks to attend to. Only Kiana, with nothing better to do, naturally trailed behind Zeke.
"Thud!"
A worker bee crashed into Kiana's head as she lurked around the corner of the hallway.
"Ow..."
"If you want to join me, just come over. No need for all this sneaking around."
"I'm just giving you some personal space by keeping a respectful distance!"
"And who was it that disturbed my sleep so early this morning?"
"That was an accident! The book says maintaining appropriate distance can help warm up relationships between men and women!"
Still leaning against the wall, Kiana raised her index finger, her white antenna hair swaying back and forth, a gleeful innocence etched on her small face.
Zeke shook his head with amusement; she always had these quirky ideas and unique explanations.
Glancing at today's administrative duties, he considered briefly before delegating one-third of them to Cocolia, assuming she should have some free time now. He then assigned another portion to Bronya and entrusted the rest to Raiden Mei whenever she found a moment.
With this division, he freed up his own schedule.
With that, he freed up some of his own time.
"Come here." Zeke beckoned to the girl standing in the corner.
Kiana's eyes sparkled, and she jogged over, throwing herself onto Zeke with a tight embrace.
"Mmmh, sniff!"
Nestling against Zeke's chest, Kiana took deep breaths, savoring the familiar scent and warmth, her face lighting up with a pure smile.
"You have skin hunger syndrome or something?"
"But only for you, Zeke—super severe case."
"Illnesses need treatment."
"Just give me more hugs, let me hug you more often, and I'll be cured."
"Sassy!"
Zeke gently tapped the girl on the head, chiding softly but unable to hide the affection in his gaze.
Then, he sighed again.
"What should we do about Sin? She won't easily accept the current situation."
"Well, worst comes to worst, we can share just a tiny bit. But remember, I'm still your absolute favorite!"
"...Ridiculous."
For a moment, Zeke remained silent, holding Kiana's slender waist tenderly as he shook his head.
Kiana stuck out her tongue, giggling as she clung to Zeke without further comment.
With years of affectionate bickering behind them, Kiana had developed a deep understanding of Sin's feelings. She knew how challenging it would be to monopolize Zeke entirely and couldn't bear imagining Sin's despair... Both their situations were uniquely complex, as was Zeke himself. Regarding the future, Kiana simply hoped to remain with Zeke forever, seeking as much happiness together as possible. Beyond that, she found most other outcomes acceptable.
In essence, ensuring everyone's happiness is precisely the kind of future Kiana desired most.
Zeke didn't fully grasp Kiana's thoughts or have any immediate plan for addressing Sin's situation. After pondering for a while, he temporarily set aside these concerns.
"Kiana, want to take a walk together? We can also clear out some newly spawned Honkai Beasts and Zombies along the way."
"Just the two of us?"
"Mm-hmm, seems like we're the only ones available right now."
"Let's go then! Don't let annoying Sin catch up!" Kiana hastily grabbed Zeke's hand and rushed outside.
Following her lead, Zeke matched her pace effortlessly, a subtle, gentle smile gracing his lips without him realizing. He offered no resistance, perfectly synchronizing with Kiana's steps.