Honkai Impact 3rd: Catching the Herrscher of Sentience at the Start

"I wasn't completely in the right either. I shouldn't have planned to draw a turtle on your face while you were napping."

"What?! You were planning to draw a turtle on my face while I was asleep!" Fu Shi slammed the table and glared at Kiana, realizing that no matter the version, Kiana was always so irritating!

Kiana turned her head away guiltily. "I didn't actually do it..."

"Only because Bronya told me in advance. Otherwise..." Mei sighed, rubbing her forehead as she looked at the ever-troublesome Kiana.

------------------------------

"Come on, Old Antique, knock Kiana down!" Fu Shi watched the scene in the training room, waving her small fists and shouting enthusiastically. The surrounding Valkyrie cadets, seeing this, felt their hearts melting.

At the same time, though, they gritted their teeth while glaring at Mei. Why was she the one who got to hold Fu Shi while they could only watch from the sidelines? So unfair.

"Fu Shi, would you like to come play in big sister's arms? I have some tasty cookies and desserts here." A gray-blonde girl in a maid outfit walked in from the doorway. Hearing the Valkyries' conversation, she brightened upon seeing Fu Shi in Mei's arms and reached out her hand.

"Rita?... What are you doing here?" Mei hugged Fu Shi tightly and turned toward the source of the voice. Upon realizing who it was, she asked warily.

"Miss Mei, please don't look at me like that, or I might get hurt," Rita replied gently.

"I'm on vacation right now, here purely of my own accord. The Overseer doesn't know, so there's no need to worry." Rita clasped her hands neatly in front of her waist, standing gracefully in place. She smiled at Mei, particularly at Fu Shi in her arms—what an adorable sight!

It seemed this visit to St. Freya Academy was already well worth it.

"Ri... Rita! Why are you here?" Theresa rushed in with Judas on her back after hearing about Rita's arrival and her approach to the training room. She breathed a sigh of relief upon finding no signs of a fight.

"I came to visit the adorable Lady Theresa, of course~," Rita teased, covering her mouth as she saw the sweat-covered Theresa. Taking out a handkerchief, she thoughtfully began wiping Theresa's forehead.

Blushing, Theresa took the handkerchief and stammered, "Rita, I can do it myself."

Rita covered her mouth, her face tinged with a faint blush as she looked at Theresa, whose face was now red as well. "Hehe~ Lady Theresa is as cute as ever."

"Rita~!" Theresa glanced nervously at the surrounding Valkyries, utterly embarrassed. How would her students look at her now?

"Apologies, Lady Theresa. I'll behave." Rita shot a cold glance at the nosy Valkyrie cadets nearby, prompting them to scatter in all directions. Soon, the entire training room was left with only Theresa's group.

Mei and Fu Shi silently watched the scene unfold, munching on snacks as they observed. Who would have thought that the ever-dignified Headmistress Theresa could be so thoroughly flustered by Rita?

"Fu Shi, would you be interested in visiting big sister's home?" Seeing that Theresa was on the verge of an outburst, Rita shifted her focus. Looking at Fu Shi in Mei's arms, her eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief.

"No way." Fu Shi shook her head in refusal. She was well aware of Rita's "loli-con" tendencies; going to her house would be like walking into the wolf's den.

"Well, that's truly unfortunate."

"Oh, by the way, I made some cookies. I hope you like them."

Rita's eyes revealed a trace of disappointment before she reached into her maid outfit and pulled out a bag of cookies, much to Fu Shi's astonishment.

She introduced them one by one: "The yellow Homu is plain-flavored—crispy and refreshing."

"The pink Homei is strawberry-flavored, a bit sweet and sour."

"The red Holala is spicy, so kids shouldn't eat it."

"There are three flavors? And they taste this good!"

Fu Shi took a yellow Homu cookie from the bag, bit into it, and chewed. Her eyes lit up in delight.

"Let me try one too..." Seeing Fu Shi's surprised expression, Mei took a pink Homei cookie from the bag and put it in her mouth. She then looked at Rita in disbelief.

At that moment, Mei felt her position seriously threatened. She unconsciously clenched her fists, only to be brought back to reality by Theresa's indignant voice.

"Rita, weren't those cookies meant for me?" Theresa picked up a cookie with a Homu design, clearly one of her favorites. Rita had actually given them to someone else.

"This one is for Lady Theresa—a bitter melon-flavored Homu." Rita pulled out another bag of cookies from her skirt and handed it to Theresa. As someone striving to be the perfect maid, she would never let Lady Theresa down.

"Bitter melon flavor! You really know me, Rita." Theresa put a bitter melon cookie in her mouth, satisfied as she gave Rita a thumbs-up.

The training room door opened, and Fu Hua dragged an utterly exhausted Kiana out. Upon seeing Rita among the group, Fu Hua raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Though exhausted, Kiana caught the aroma of cookies in the air. She suddenly stood up and, eyes shining, stared at the cookies in Mei and Fu Shi's hands.

Then, realizing what had happened, she puffed up her cheeks and pointed at the group indignantly. "I was getting beaten up inside, and you're all out here eating snacks? Where's the justice? Where's the law?"