"Something's strange about Kiana today..." Mei thought, her face slightly flushed.
She recalled Kiana's graceful yet intense movements during her squats, her body covered in fragrant sweat, radiating an alluring charm. Mei felt her throat go dry as her thoughts wandered. She quickly turned her gaze towards the Valkyrie dormitory window, lost in thought.
Then, she slapped her heated cheeks and muttered shyly, "What am I even thinking?!"
Deciding to distract herself, she hurried off to find Mr. Ye Feng.
---
Inside the Valkyrie dormitory, Kiana was inexplicably energetic, straddling Ye Feng and furiously choking him with her pale, slender hands.
"You jerk! Five minutes of reduction, right?! If not, you'd show your true form, huh?! Well, show it then! Show it!!"
Ye Feng played along, sticking his tongue out as if choking.
It wasn't until the number decreased again that Kiana finally calmed down. Exhausted, she collapsed onto Ye Feng's chest, her fair body drenched in sweat. Despite the summer heat, the warmth between them brought an odd sense of comfort.
Ye Feng gently lifted Kiana's face, brushed aside the strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, and kissed her lips. Kiana, startled, thrashed like a fish out of water but soon gave up struggling, resigned to her fate.
After five minutes, Kiana's face was flushed red. Her dainty toes pressed desperately against the ground, sliding back in a futile effort. When she reached the end of her strength, her toes stretched to the limit, rising and falling like a mermaid's tail flicking the surface of the water.
Finally, Ye Feng let her go, and Kiana gasped for breath.
"You jerk! Were you trying to suffocate me?!" she shouted.
"How could I resist? You're just too irresistible," Ye Feng teased.
"Even if you flatter me, I'm not happy!" Kiana huffed.
"Shall we talk about your father then?" Ye Feng asked.
"Huh?" Kiana was caught off guard.
"You seem surprised. Mei reminded you earlier, didn't she? Don't tell me you've already forgotten," Ye Feng said with a smirk.
Blushing furiously, Kiana clenched her fists, her veins pulsing as she retorted, "It's not like I forgot! I was just waiting for the right moment. Knowing you, though, if I want information about my dad, I'll probably end up being taken advantage of!"
"Your father, Siegfried, is currently at Anti-Entropy headquarters, recovering from his injuries."
"I knew it—wait, what?!" Kiana's eyes widened in disbelief.
For four long years, she had wandered alone, searching for her father. And now, just like that, the answer was handed to her so easily.
"Anti-Entropy? Recovering?" she echoed in disbelief.
Ye Feng stood up, moved to sit in a chair by Mei's desk, and reclined with an air of authority. Just by looking at him, Kiana understood his unspoken message: If you want more information, you'll have to beg for it.
Though Kiana resisted at first, thinking back, she realized there was no point in holding back. She could still keep her dignity, after all, and knowing more about her father was worth the price.
With that thought, she gathered her strength and crawled over to Ye Feng, kneeling like a small, tired puppy.
Ye Feng patted her head affectionately and then leaned back, saying, "Siegfried carries Honkai Beast genes within him. Due to excessive activation, the Honkai Beast genes have begun to erode his body and mind. He's currently receiving assistance from Anti-Entropy to suppress these genes."
Kiana's eyes were filled with shock. "So, my dad also has Honkai Beast genes in his body?"
"Exactly. It's not something acquired later on—Siegfried was born with it. If you want to know why, it goes back 50,000 years."
"Again with this... 50,000 years..." Kiana groaned.
"Sharp as always, Kiana. Yes, it's from the same era as Fu Hua."
Kiana, however, was more concerned with her father's condition. "What about my dad? Is he... okay now?"
"Don't worry, he'll live until the end of the story. You seem eager to find him."
Kiana nodded. After all, her entire reason for joining St. Freya Academy was to get information about Siegfried from Theresa. Now that she knew where he was, her next step seemed clear—head to North America.
"You should stay at St. Freya," Ye Feng said.
"Huh?" Kiana was puzzled.
"Siegfried is deliberately avoiding you. If you go to North America, he'll just move elsewhere."
Kiana let out a frustrated breath. "Why?"
Ye Feng gazed deeply at her, "Why? Kiana, have you really not figured it out yet?"
Kiana was momentarily taken aback. Her mind wandered to the strange, dream-like memories that occasionally surfaced. She lowered her head, falling silent.
The room grew quiet, save for the sound of their breathing.
"Kiana, it's not what you think," Ye Feng said gently.
"Stop it... leave me alone."
"I won't leave you alone. Remember this—no matter what happens, I'm always on your side, Kiana."
Ye Feng's hand caressed her face, smoothing away the strands of her short black hair that framed her lips.
---
Meanwhile, in another room, a nun stood praying before a statue. Sensing someone approaching, she opened her eyes and, without turning around, addressed Ye Feng.
"The child has left," she said.
"What are you praying for, Mother Aponia?" Ye Feng asked as he approached.
"Not for blessings, but for redemption."
"Redemption? What sin could you possibly have, Mother Aponia?"
The nun simply closed her eyes in response.
Then, Aponia asked, "That child..."
"You mean Kiana? Ah, she's improving. Her body is much more flexible now, but she's still clumsy with certain things. Like when she eats porridge—she keeps burning her mouth and refuses to admit it when I warn her," Ye Feng laughed, stepping forward to embrace the praying nun from behind. "But that clumsiness, that awkwardness, it's part of what makes teaching her so satisfying. Just like it was with you, Aponia."
Aponia, still in her prayer posture, slowly embraced Ye Feng back, much like a mother cradling a child in a holy statue's pose. Her face, normally so compassionate, showed a hint of struggle.
"Ye Feng... I have seen a glimpse of the future in the Elysian Realm. I may become a sinner in the Realm... I no longer know what to do."
"And that's the sin you're trying to atone for, Mother Aponia?"
---
Advanced chapters in pat.reon.com/SenatusPopulus