Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

"Whoa!!!"

Kiana, who had been crouching suspiciously by the cupboard, yelped and fell backward.

When she came to her senses, a shadow loomed over her. Looking up, she saw a blonde little girl with a blank expression standing beside her head, holding a sharp, gleaming kitchen knife. Cold water droplets were still dripping from the blade.

"Gulp!"

Kiana, still lying down, swallowed hard, then scratched her head and tried to explain with a goofy smile, "Um, I was just wondering how much longer until dinner is ready. I studied really hard today, so I'm pretty hungry..."

Raiden Mei rubbed her forehead and shook her head.

Anqi, holding the knife in one hand and grabbing Kiana's collar with the other, dragged her to the door. She then pointed to a notice posted by the kitchen door:

[During meal preparation, flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, dogs, and Kiana Kaslana are not allowed inside.]

[—Anqi]

Anqi pointed at the notice, her expressionless face, and slowly raised the kitchen knife, a faint cold glint in her eyes.

Her hair standing on end, driven by a primal survival instinct, Kiana crossed half the living room in an instant and hid beside Himeko, who was sitting on the sofa.

"I was wrong, I was wrong, okay? You guys continue cooking, I promise I won't steal any more food! I swear!"

Anqi's gaze lingered on the trembling ahoge peeking out from beside the sofa. After three seconds, her gaze shifted to Himeko.

"Good evening, welcome home, Himeko~~"

Anqi, holding the knife with both hands, smiled shyly and twisted her slender, petite body, speaking in a sweet voice.

Himeko, looking as if this was a regular occurrence, waved with a bright smile.

"Yo, I'm back, Anqi!"

"Dinner will be ready soon, please wait a little longer."

"It's fine, take your time. I'm counting on you."

"Okay, I'll get back to cooking then~~"

Anqi turned and returned to the kitchen with a sweet smile.

Only then did Kiana peek her head out from beside the sofa. Her wide, lingering eyes watched Anqi completely disappear into the kitchen before she let out a huge sigh of relief.

Kiana pouted her stiff, pink lips and complained, "Damn it, what kind of preferential treatment is this? The way she looked at me was like I was trash! Am I not human?"

"That's because you always steal food! Last time, you stole our deluxe sushi and turned it into plain vegetarian rice balls. You deserve it!"

"I've reflected on it since then! Is it really necessary for her to post a humiliating notice and force me to undergo another remedial training week!?"

"I actually think it's great. Finally, there's someone in this house who can keep you in check. Himeko and I are so much more relaxed! Hahaha!"

Himeko said with a hearty laugh, patting Kiana's shoulder.

Kiana, besides muttering under her breath, didn't dare say anything else.

After all, Himeko didn't really like to interfere, Raiden Mei was soft-hearted towards her, but Anqi was different. Anqi would genuinely discipline her! And Kiana was always in the wrong, plus she couldn't beat Anqi. She had no other choice but to suffer.

After a few more experiences, Kiana had fully understood: an Anqi who wasn't angry was a cuddly little creature with a great feel, someone you could hug and nuzzle to cure all unhappiness; but an angry Anqi meant you should stay as far away as possible and pray she cooled down quickly.

Soon, a dazzling array of delicacies was laid out on the table.

Everyone enjoyed the meal.

Only Bronya, who arrived late, chewed and swallowed mechanically throughout the meal, seemingly lost in thought.

"Pork rib soup, rich in calcium and vitamin B, effectively relieves stress."

As Bronya's mind wandered, Anqi's clear and confident voice came from beside her.

Bronya turned her head and saw Anqi slowly pushing a bowl of fragrant pork rib soup towards her.

"Anqi..."

Her usually calm and indifferent emotions had been repeatedly shaken by Welt's words today. And this bowl of soup offered by Anqi, along with the concern conveyed in her clear eyes, finally shattered Bronya's state of mind.

Bronya lowered her head, her eyes suddenly turning red, tears welling up.

'Mom Cocolia, even if I know the truth, what can I do? The mistakes have been made, and we already owe too much. How can I make Anqi...'

Anqi, being the closest to Bronya at the dining table, was the only one who fully noticed Bronya's change.

Anqi fumbled, not knowing what to do.

Then, Bronya hugged her tightly.

"Bronya?"

"Anqi... don't be so good to Bronya... I'm sorry..."

"???"

At this moment, Anqi sent out an SOS to all other Anqis. But after a brainstorming session, they could only respond with the same confused question marks.

In the end, the bewildered Anqi could only hug Bronya back, gently patting her back, her face full of confusion. But for the trembling little girl, Anqi could only offer as much comfort as possible.

Raiden Mei, Kiana, and Himeko exchanged glances. In the silence, they tacitly sensed something, but they were powerless to do anything about it. Besides eating in silence, there was nothing else they could do.

This dinner ultimately ended with Anqi's bewilderment and the discomfort and guilt of everyone else.

I felt a bit unwell this afternoon. I took an antigen test tonight, and for now, I'm okay. Sigh, it's agonizing whether I'm infected or not. It's like knowing the guillotine will fall sooner or later, but not knowing when. It hurts. 15

Chapter 52: Bronya's Bedroom, Free to Enter and Exit

That night, Bronya picked up her communicator and called the only two channels available. This communicator had only two channels: one connected to An·Mar, and the other connected to Cocolia. This was to ensure absolute secrecy and prevent most eavesdropping and interference.

Bronya had thought she wouldn't be able to use Cocolia's channel, but tonight, she had too many things she wanted to tell Cocolia.

After a brief signal call, Bronya held the communicator, and a familiar face finally appeared before her.

"Eh, what is this treasure? Is it a new game console? Is it fun?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't Cocolia who appeared on the communicator screen, but Kiana's face next to it. She was on all fours like a cat, her healthy and beautiful body curves appearing extremely alluring against the backdrop of her loose pajamas. Sadly, her large eyes, filled with curiosity, diluted her inherent feminine charm.

Bronya put on a blank expression and said in her usual monotone:

"Bronya remembers locking the door."

"Ah, you mean that? A few days ago, they opened an extension course on lockpicking, and Anqi found it very interesting, so she dragged me along. Hehe, I didn't expect this young lady to have such talent in this area. Now, this level of door lock is no problem for me!"

Kiana grinned, revealing a set of teeth as white and lustrous as jade.

Bronya twitched her delicate eyebrows and said expressionlessly:

"Bronya wasn't praising you. Don't get happy on your own, you idiot Kiana."

This idiot should be glad Seele isn't around, and Bronya doesn't have the habit of entertaining herself. Otherwise, if they stumbled upon something they shouldn't have seen, Bronya would have to ruthlessly silence them.

Kiana, however, sensed Bronya's unfriendliness. She stuck out her tongue playfully, sat down casually, and said with a laugh:

"I saw you were acting strange tonight, so I was a little worried. So, what's wrong, Bronya?"

"Thank you for your concern, Bronya is fine. Please leave first, Bronya has something to do... Ah, forget it. Just sit there, don't disturb me. There's no time."

Bronya was receptive to Kiana's straightforward concern. Seeing Cocolia's face already appearing on the communicator, she reluctantly ushered Kiana to the side.

After all, Bronya had decided to have an honest conversation with everyone about these matters. Whether Kiana knew a little earlier or a little later made no difference. Perhaps knowing earlier would even help her single-celled brain understand the situation better.

Kiana said "Oh" and obediently sat down beside her. She then reached for a bag of potato chips and, ignoring Bronya's sharp glare, began munching on them on Bronya's bed with a crunch, crunch.

Time rewinded ten minutes earlier, to the Snow Mountain Base.

It was already late at night here, time for the children to be asleep.

But for some reason, all the children had gathered on Cocolia's bed tonight.

Cocolia pondered if Ninti's appearance had given them some sense of crisis?

Children's possessiveness was generally strong, but it was especially cute when it came to vying for their mother's attention.

Cocolia smiled and took out a storybook, reading fairy tales to them, just as the original Cocolia used to do in the orphanage.

"And in the end, the prince and princess lived happily ever after in the castle..."

"Mom, this is so boring. You always tell these childish stories that kids don't listen to."

"Indeed. I think stories about Honkai are more interesting."

"Liliya thinks so too. We've grown up."

Cocolia's gentle, motherly smile gradually froze as she listened to the children's complaints.

(＾－＾＃): "How about I perform the story of the evil queen eating Snow White bit by bit for you? Should I start with your tender little faces, or your soft little feet?"

Cocolia said in a drawn-out voice, revealing a sinister and dangerous smile towards the three girls squeezed beside her.

"Wow! Mommy is going to eat children!"

"Is this day finally here? Liliya knew this would happen. Mommy, you eat Rosaliya first! It's up to you, Sister Rosaliya!"

"Σ(っ °Д °;)っ Wait, why me! Rosaliya doesn't want to be eaten!"

They screamed and shoved each other, finally huddling together and shrinking into the covers.

Cocolia's feigned dangerous expression vanished instantly, and she covered her mouth, laughing uncontrollably.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Their joyful time was interrupted by the communicator on the nightstand.

Cocolia picked it up, then looked down and put a finger to her lips at the three little heads peeking out from the covers.

"It's Bronya. Don't disturb us, shhh!"

The three girls nodded in succession, their bright, watery eyes looking at Cocolia with curiosity and anticipation.

"Ahem! Bronya, I thought you wouldn't use this channel."

Cocolia sighed, her relaxed and cheerful demeanor replaced by a touch of melancholy. She gazed at Bronya's expressionless face on the screen for a long time before slowly revealing a gentle smile.

Perhaps touched by this smile, Bronya's originally determined and resolute eyes gradually softened.

"Long time no see, Mama Cocolia."

"Well, it's a long time no see for you, but for me, I get to see your latest photos from time to time, and I know you've been doing well, so it's fine! Ahahaha!"

Cocolia said with utter frankness, scratching her cheek.

But Bronya was clearly not as at ease. First, she was surprised that Cocolia could observe the inside of St. Freya, and was astonished and a little creeped out by her far-reaching influence. Then, she finally understood what An and the others had said earlier.

"Mama, you've indeed changed a lot."

"Sigh, how should I put it? The Changkong City incident really pulled me out of that state of tension that was driving me crazy. I've come to understand some things, like in the face of Honkai, I'm still that powerless and incompetent grunt from back then. And also... unexpected events and crises always come out of nowhere, so I need to seize the time to watch over my precious daughters more."

Cocolia said with deep emotion, giving a vague justification for her own changes. At the same time, she stroked the tops of her three daughters' heads, showing them a beautiful, gentle smile.

The girls returned sweet, shy, and cute smiles, snuggling into Cocolia's body as if greedily absorbing warmth from their mother.

Bronya looked at Cocolia with surprise, and after a long while, she sighed and said with mixed feelings:

"Bronya is happy. Compared to the impatient, extreme, and headstrong mother from before, everyone will prefer this mother more. I believe that."

"Is that so? Will you too?"

Cocolia's smile grew brighter, and she looked at Bronya through the communicator with some anticipation.

Bronya paused. This was a question she couldn't possibly say out loud, even if no one else was around, let alone with Kiana watching beside her!

Thinking of this, Bronya subconsciously glanced towards Kiana.

At that moment, Raiden Mei was gently wiping Kiana's mouth, while Himeko was spreading a clean tablecloth on the bed to prevent more potato chip crumbs from falling onto it.

Bronya: "Pfft!"

Why are you guys here too!?

Chapter 53: I Hurt Mama Again